Terry McMillen, driver of the 10,000 horsepower Amalie Oil InstiGator dragster, will put on a display of power and precision in Gainesville on March 11 at noon in front of Piesanos Stone Fired Pizza restaurant at the Holiday Inn University Center.

McMillen and his team will light the wick on his Top Fuel dragster and let it thunder to life in front of area fans of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. When the car shuts off, the team will display the rebuilding process that teams take part in between rounds of racing at NHRA events across the country.

The highly-trained crew will begin a precise ballet where they remove major components of the car such as the blower, headers, pistons and change the oil in the engine. In less than 30 minutes, the team will fully reassemble the motor and restart the machine. This will all be done in the amount of time it takes to get an oil change at a quick service auto repair shop.

This event will also serve to kick off the start of the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, March 12-15 at Auto Plus Raceway at Gainesville. This historic event is the East Coast opener for the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series and is one of the premier events on the circuit. Don Garlits, Don Prudhomme, Warren Johnson and Kenny Bernstein cemented their legendary status at the track through the years and drivers will again look to win the ‘Gators’ in sunny Florida.

The 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season is in full swing and has the potential to become one of the most exciting years in drag racing history. The best in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle will once again battle for the coveted race victory at one of drag racing’s most tradition-rich events. Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car), Allen Johnson (Pro Stock) and Steve Johnson (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were last year’s winners of the race, which will once again be televised on ESPN2.

Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying begins Friday, March 13, with sessions at noon and 3 p.m. The final two qualifying sessions will take place Saturday, March 14, at noon and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. on Sunday, March 15.

]]>NHRA Lucas Oil event at Royal Purple Raceway rescheduledurn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72015-03-03T17:22:00ZThis weekend’s NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Royal Purple Raceway has been rescheduled for June 19-21. Because weather forecasts for the weekend call for very cool temperatures in the area and rain for the majority of the event, officials from RPR and NHRA working together opted to change the date with input collected from racers, sponsors, and fans.

“The cold temperatures and persistent rain forecasted for the Baytown area have us concerned,” said NHRA South Central Division Director Trey Capps. “We hope that by making the call this early we’ll save our racers some travel expenses.”

This schedule change will also shuffle the JEGS Allstars events that will count toward points for 2015 and 2016. The No Problem Raceway event, May 29-31, will now count toward 2015 Allstar points and the rescheduled Royal Purple Raceway event will count towards the 2016 event.

The Darrell Gwynn Foundation will present select pieces of its Kenny Bernstein Personal Collection for auction, featuring some items celebrating the lifetime achievements of Dale Armstrong. The auction will be conducted both online and live by J. Sugarman Auction Corp. The online bidding segment is available now for registration and pre-bidding at www.jaysugarman.com. The live auction will begin Saturday, March 14, at 6 p.m. at Auto-Plus Raceway at Gainesville, rounding out a day of drag racing at the 46th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals.

The auction will feature pieces of NHRA, NASCAR, and Indycar memorabilia and collectibles, donated by Kenny Bernstein, a six-time NHRA world champion and the first drag racer to break the 300-mph barrier. The impressive collection spans four decades of racing history and features Funny Car and Top Fuel dragster bodies, event winner’s jackets, framed art pieces, firesuits, helmets, trophies, and many other one-of-a-kind collectibles. The collection is unique in that many items are from Bernstein’s personal collection of memories and treasures from his racing career. Many items are autographed and more than 200 pieces valued at more than $400,000 will be auctioned.

“We’re excited to make this once in a lifetime collection available to the public via auction,” said Darrell Gwynn, founder of the Darrell Gwynn Foundation. “It was really an amazing gesture by Kenny and Sheryl to donate this collection to DGF. What’s more amazing are the incredible pieces of personal memorabilia from Kenny’s collection that fans now have access to. We have a true treasure trove of keepsakes, trophies, autographed memorabilia, Budweiser collectibles, and more. What an opportunity for race fans to own NHRA history and celebrate the career of a racing legend, my former teammate, Kenny.”

The collection was donated to the Darrell Gwynn Foundation with an announcement at the Gatornationals in March 2012. DGF staff transported the collection to its race shop in Florida and began the process of appraising, photographing, and cataloging all 1,500-plus items so they could be made available for sale. The most highly sought after, unique, and collectible pieces were saved to be put up for auction.

Live Auction: Saturday, March 14, 6 p.m. at Auto-Plus Raceway at Gainesville (Only those with Saturday tickets to the Gatornationals will be able to gain access to the live auction.)

Proceeds from all sales are tax deductible and benefit the Darrell Gwynn Foundation.

]]>NHRA welcomes sister Alabama properties to official Member Track Networkurn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72015-03-02T18:59:00Z

Atmore Dragway, one of the most modern eighth-mile racing facilities in the South, and sister facility Mobile Dragway have joined the NHRA Member Track Network.

Equidistant to Mobile, Ala., and Pensacola, Fla., Atmore Dragway opened in the 1960s and becomes a member of NHRA’s Southeast Division. In 2012, the Poarch Band of Creek Indians reached an agreement with new track operator Gary Moore to begin a $1.5 million dollar renovation of the facility that included a completely new concrete racing surface and asphalt shutdown, new scoreboards, new grandstands, new food stands, new return roads, and new lightning. Atmore Dragway, located in Atmore, Ala., reopened in 2013 and joins the NHRA Member Network for the 2015 season. As an NHRA Member Track, Atmore Dragway is eligible to offer drag racers a variety of NHRA opportunities, including the NHRA Summit Racing Series, the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League, NHRA Jr. Street, and the NHRA Drags: Street Legal Style presented by AAA. Additionally, the track has the opportunity to host NHRA’s specialty events, including the National Dragster Challenge, NHRA Summit King of the Track, and NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League Challenge.

“The Poarch Band of Creek Indians and Gary Moore have teamed up to rebuild an iconic NHRA dragstrip and bring it into the modern era,” said Rich Schaefer, director of NHRA’s Southeast Division. “NHRA racers in the Mobile and Pensacola areas have a fantastic facility with an experienced track operator at the helm. The variety of pre- and post-event entertainment options next to the track, along with great hotel choices, truly makes this a destination for racers and fans alike."

“We have had a great opportunity to bring Atmore Dragway and Mobile Dragway back to the NHRA member program,” said Moore, track operator. “Our racers will once again have the opportunity to win a coveted Wally trophy and race their way to becoming a Summit Racing Series national champion.”

Atmore Dragway is housed next to the Wind Creek Casino and Hotel Resort, which features a variety of entertainment options for adults and families. With arcades, bowling alleys, a Jerry Pate designed golf course, multiple dining choices, and big name music entertainment, a trip to Atmore Dragway brings NHRA members and their families a complete weekend of fun.

Mobile Dragway, Atmore’s sister facility, is an eighth-mile dragstrip located in Irvington, Ala., a suburb of Mobile.

Entering her third season in Top Fuel on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series circuit, Brittany Force is still aiming to track down her first career victory.

That fact says more about the impressive competition in the Top Fuel class than it does about Force’s young career, which already includes a growing number of accolades. The 2013 Auto Club Road to the Future Award winner, Force has advanced to four final founds and also racked up three No. 1 qualifiers.

But that first victory has eluded her thus far, something Force hopes to change at the 46th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Auto-Plus Raceway at Gainesville, March 12-15. It marks the third of 24 races in the 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season and the tradition-rich drag race would mark an ideal location for Force to break into the win column in her 10,000-horsepower John Force Racing dragster.

“I am pumped and ready to get to the next race,” Force said. “I am proud of my entire team. We had two pretty good runs (in Phoenix) and got to the second round. We stepped it up in the second round so that was nice to see that performance improvement on race day. Going into Gainesville we will start all over again. Our plan will be to make some good runs and get a good qualifying spot.”

The traditional East Coast opener on the Mello Yello Series circuit will feature the biggest stars in the NHRA. Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car), Allen Johnson (Pro Stock) and Steve Johnson (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were last year’s winners of the event that will once again be televised on ESPN2.

Force certainly qualifies as one of the biggest stars in the NHRA as she tries to climb the star-studded Top Fuel ranks headed by reigning world champion Tony Schumacher, who won the most recent event in Phoenix. Other standouts include Kalitta, Antron Brown, Spencer Massey, 2014 rookie of the year Richie Crampton, three-time world champ Larry Dixon, Amalie Motor Oil fan-favorite Terry McMillen, category newcomer Dave Connolly, last year’s series runner-up J.R. Todd and determined Texan Steve Torrence.

But Force continues to find her way, making steady improvement. That included her first appearance in the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship a season ago, but Force’s mindset is only on the present and that means improving at Gainesville.

“I try not to focus too much on last year,” Force said. “I have to focus on today and right now. It is tough out here. I know this team will put everything they can into this dragster and I will do my best job driving, and hopefully we’ll get that first win soon. I am just trying to get back into the groove of driving this Top Fuel dragster.”

That’s no easy task and Force doesn’t consider herself a veteran in that department by any stretch. After a first-round loss to start the 2015 season in Pomona, Force picked up her first round win of the year in Phoenix, knocking off Torrence before falling to Kalitta in the quarterfinals.

Despite a talented team, led by crew chiefs Todd Smith and Ronnie Thompson, Force knows how vital seat time is for long-term success.

“Even going into my third season seat time is so important,” Force said. “I have been out of the seat for a while so now that we are getting the season started I am getting back in the groove. It takes a little while until you are 100 percent comfortable in the seat.”

That day is coming soon and Force will work diligently to get that to happen. She knows the potential is there, as evidenced by an extremely successful test session in Phoenix before the season started. The next step is putting those performances together on a consistent basis.

“We have a new team and some new guys, but I am excited,” Force said. “We jumped back into it and got off to a tough start but we got it turned around. You just want to get back in that groove, and you want to get comfortable and in the zone as quickly as possible.”

Robert Hight

Allen Johnson

Andrew Hines

Robert Hight was the hero of Funny Car at Gainesville in 2014 defeating team owner John Force in the final. Courtney Force will try to become the first female Funny Car winner at the Gatornationals but reigning world champ Matt Hagan has been red hot, winning the first two events of the year. Ron Capps, Tommy Johnson Jr., Del Worsham, three-time national event winner Alexis DeJoria and two-time world champ Cruz Pedregon are all expected to be competitive in Gainesville as well.

Allen Johnson, the 2012 Pro Stock world champ, got the best of eventual world champ Erica Enders-Stevens in the final at Gainesville last season. Enders-Stevens is looking for her first Gainesville victory while other top challengers include Winternationals winner and four-time Gatornationals winner Line, Shane Gray, Greg Anderson, Vincent Nobile, Phoenix winner Roger Brogdon, rookie sensation Drew Skillman, Chris McGaha and Jonathan Gray.

The Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals is the first of 16 events for the Pro Stock Motorcycle category. Riders will be looking to knock reigning series and four-time champion Andrew Hines off his title perch. Last year, Hines and his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson teammate Eddie Krawiec dominated the series by combining to win 11 of the 16 events. Others to watch in the two-wheel category include defending Gators winner Johnson, father and son duo Hector Arana Jr. and Hector Arana Sr., three-time world champ Angelle Sampey, and the husband and wife duo of Matt and Angie Smith.

As always, fans will have the opportunity to interact with their favorite drivers as they’re granted an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful motorsports attraction on the planet. While visiting the pits, interactive NHRA Nitro Alley and the NHRA Manufacturers Midway, fans will also want to check out NHRA’s popular Hot Rod Junction presented by the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum that offers a spectacular display of many nostalgic dragsters, race cars and hot rods on display, including vintage machines that were driven by "Big Daddy" Don Garlits, K.S. Pittman, Big John Mazmanian and Bruce Larson, among others. There will also be several NHRA Legends of Drag Racing autograph sessions, allowing fans the rare opportunity to meet drag racing stars of the past.

Pro qualifying begins on Friday, March 13, with sessions at noon and 3 p.m. The final two qualifying sessions will take place Saturday, March 14, also at noon and 3 p.m. Final eliminations will begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday, March 15.

The 2015 Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals will also feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series as well as the season-opener in the NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series.

To purchase general-admission or reserved seats, log on to www.NHRA.com/tickets or call the NHRA Ticket Sales Center, 800-884-NHRA (6472). General admission tickets for children 12 and younger are free with any paid adult ticket. Fans can save by purchasing their tickets in advance.

One lucky and talented motorcycle rider will earn the opportunity to be a teammate to three-time NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion Angelle Sampey at the upcoming Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals in Atlanta.

As part of its 35th anniversary Season of Celebration, Star Racing has announced a 30-person Riders Challenge where one champion will win a prize package worth more than $25,000 and the chance to compete on the big stage of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

“We want 2015 to be a year to remember at Star Racing,” said Star Racing founder and CEO George Bryce. “This Riders Challenge will give 30 different racers the chance to live their dream with our team at one NHRA event.”

“I wish there had been something like this when I was still dreaming about becoming a champion said Sampey, a graduate of Bryce’s Motorcycle Drag Racing School. “I can’t believe that the winner will be my teammate for one race. It’s going to be a blast.

“This is more than a competition,” she added. “It is a life-changing event. Where else can you learn from a mentor like George Bryce and also get to know the ins and outs of a championship caliber race team up close and persona? I am looking forward to getting to know the 30 riders and seeing if they have what it takes to be a winner.”

“Everyone is a winner when they participate,” added Bryce. “You can’t put a price tag on the information you will receive and being able to get to know Angelle on a personal level and hearing her stories of what it takes to succeed in motorsports is worth the price of admission.”

The riders will be judged Bryce, Sampey, and motorsports marketing expert Rolfe Schnur on a number of skills including bike control, natural talent, public speaking and passion for pursuing their dream.

The competition will take place April 13-21 at Florida’s Auto-Plus Raceway at Gainesville. The participants will be split into three groups. The two finalists from each group will compete against each other April 22-23 for the grand prize. The winner will race with Star Racing at the NHRA event and test with Sampey prior to NHRA race. They will also receive their own Star Racing Leathers, a $2,500 marketing package, hero cards for the event, press releases, professional photos, and memories to last a lifetime.

“There are only 30 spots,” said Bryce. “Once they are filled they are filled. We are investing a great deal of time and money into the future of our sport. Do you have what it takes to be a champion?”

For more information or to receive an entry form please call Jackie Bryce at 800-841-STAR or email at Jackie@StarRacing.com.

With NHRA Member Tracks across the country kicking off their seasons, the long-running NHRA Summit Racing Series is once again officially underway. As has been the case since 2000, the season will culminate with the crowning of four NHRA Summit National Champions at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona during the Auto Club NHRA Finals.

The series, which boasts more than $1,000,000 in payouts throughout the year — with more than $600,000 up for grabs between the divisional finals and national championship — will provide the chance for four grassroots racers to earn the biggest title of their career and be crowned NHRA Summit Racing Series National Champions.

In 2015, the number of racers competing at and vying for a national championship title will increase to 32; an eighth spot has been added to each of the four classes (Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman, and Motorcycle). A special drawing will take place later this year to determine which division will send the additional racer in each class.

The winner of the drawing, chosen from among the Race of Champions winners from Divisions 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, as well as the event winners from Divisions 6 and 7, will advance to the national championship as the eighth competitor. As always, each of the division champions (plus the Race of Champions winners in Divisions 6 and 7) will advance and set the eight-car field.

This true grassroots program is open to virtually anyone with a car, truck, or motorcycle who wants to try their hand at drag racing at one of approximately 120 NHRA Member Tracks across North America.

More than 300,000 racers nationwide compete in a variety of classes at their local NHRA Member Tracks for points leading to track championships and the right to represent their track at one of seven division finals, with winners advancing to the national championship and getting the chance to earn the title of NHRA Summit Racing Series National Champion.

Nearly 3,500 racers will compete at the divisional finals, with 32 advancing to the national championship hosted at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, which includes a dinner banquet for them and their families at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum prior to the racing action on the track. Eliminations are held on Sunday in conjunction with final eliminations for the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series and the winner’s circle celebration.

2015 NHRA Summit Racing Series Divisional and National Championship Schedule

Northeast Division 1

Atco Raceway, Atco, N.J.

Sept. 17-19

Southeast Division 2

Atlanta Dragway, Atlanta

Oct. 9-11

North Central Division 3

Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, Indianapolis

Sept. 18-20

South Central Division 4

Texas Motorplex, Dallas

Sept. 25-27

West Central Division 5

Heartland Park Topeka, Topeka

Sept. 18-20

Northwest Division 6

Firebird Raceway, Boise, Idaho

Sept. 4-6

Pacific Division 7

Auto Club Dragway at Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, Calif.

Oct. 2-4

Summit National Championship

Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, Pomona

Nov. 12-15

]]>National Dragster Readers Choiceurn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72015-02-24T17:34:00ZThe editors of National Dragster are preparing for the annual Readers Choice issue. Each year, the staff offers its loyal readers the opportunity to suggest story ideas for this annual keepsake and selects the best of the best to research and publish in this special edition. If you have a feature idea, they'd love to hear about it.

Have you been wondering why — or who, what, when, or where? Let the ND writers find the answers.

If your idea is chosen, all you have to do is sit back and read all about it, and, of course, you'll get full credit for the idea!

The pits and grandstands at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park were packed once again today as Phoenix-area fans took full advantage of the great weather to take in final eliminations at the CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals.

NHRA Members Donald Luke, John Seip, and Daniel Hoback and their guests were the winners of National Dragster’s backstage pass program at the event. The lucky fans got to go backstage during the pre-race ceremony to meet the drivers. NHRA Members can sign up to try to earn a similar experience at future NHRA Mello Yello national events by visiting NationalDragster.net and clicking on the Member Benefits link.

Chad Head was one of the stars of the first round in Funny Car, powering to a 4.023 that was the second-quickest time of the round and more than enough to move him past a tire-smoking Ron Capps.

Jason Line ran low e.t. of the first round, 6.567, en route to victory over Vincent Nobile. Line was unable to maintain his pacesetting performance and came up short against Drew Skillman in round two.

After catching a break in the first round and winning with a 4.09, Richie Crampton returned to form in the second round, but his 3.755 wasn’t quite enough to get the round-win against Shawn Langdon.

Shawn Langdon’s bid to keep a perfect record in the 2015 season came to an end in the semifinals when he lost a double-tire-smoking match with Doug Kalitta.

Antron Brown came up one round short of getting a chance to defend his event title, coming up on the losing end of a great 3.73 to 3.75 semifinal match with teammate Tony Schumacher.

A Funny Car semifinalist in Pomona, Robert Hight once again made it to the semi’s, defeating teammates John and Courtney Force before coming up short against Del Worsham in the penultimate round.

Defending event Funny Car champion Alexis DeJoria came up just short of winning again in Phoenix. DeJoria advanced to the semifinals before hazing the hides against eventual winner Matt Hagan.

Chris McGaha had a solid weekend that included 6.5-second passes on all runs except one and a trip to the semifinals, where a broken air line cost him against Erica Enders-Stevens.

No. 2 qualifier Doug Kalitta earned a spot in his first final since Brainerd last August, defeating Clay Millican, Brittany Force, and Shawn Langdon en route to his 43rd career title round.

Before Matt Hagan obliterated his time, Del Worsham had low e.t. of eliminations, posting a strong 4.010 in the semifinals against Robert Hight. Worsham repeated that number in the final, but it wasn’t enough to beat the three of Hagan.

After losing in the semifinals at the opener, Erica Enders-Stevens was able to go one round further, advancing to the final round and finishing as the runner-up against Rodger Brogdon.

Erica Enders-Stevens, near lane, nabbed more than three-hundredths on the starting line in the Pro Stock final, but she slowed on the top end, allowing Rodger Brogdon to drive around her for the 6.56 to 6.64 win.

Matt Hagan, near lane, picked up his third straight win, dating back to the 2014 season finale, when he defeated Del Worsham in what was the quickest Funny Car race in history. Hagan ran low e.t., 3.975, and top speed, 324.83 mph, to cover the 4.010 of Worsham.

Top Fuel low qualifier Tony Schumacher, far lane, closed out a dominant weekend with a final-round win against Doug Kalitta. Schumacher ran low e.t. of the event, 3.720, to get past the competitive 3.758 of Kalitta.

Matt Hagan raced to his second consecutive Funny Car victory of the season and extended his early-season points lead Sunday at the CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park.

Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel) and Rodger Brogdon (Pro Stock) also were winners of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event in Phoenix.

Event top qualifier Hagan was consistently quick all day in his Mopar Express Lane/Rocky Boots Dodge Charger R/T and posted the quickest run of the weekend in his final-round win over Del Worsham. Hagan posted a track record performance of 3.975 seconds at 324.83 mph to defeat Worsham’s DHL Toyota Camry, which finished in 4.010 at 318.17.

It is Hagan’s third consecutive victory going back to the Auto Club NHRA Finals in November 2014.

Matt Hagan

Tony Schumacher

“We’ve got a killer race car and race team, so I am hoping to keep turning on those win lights,” said Hagan, the reigning Funny Car world champ, of his 16th career victory and first ever at the popular Arizona dragstrip.

“It keeps getting tougher each year, and every car is so competitive,” Hagan continued. “That’s what’s so cool about this sport, it’s tough, but when you win, you feel like you really did something. I am just glad to keep this [streak] going.”

Hagan's teammate Schumacher turned around his sluggish start to the season by racing to his 78th career victory in Top Fuel. Schumacher used his quickest run of the weekend in his U.S. Army dragster, a final-round performance of 3.720 at 326.56, to finish in front of Doug Kalitta’s dragster, which trailed with a 3.758 at 325.14.

It was Schumacher’s fifth victory at Phoenix, and the eight-time world champ moved to third in the points standings behind leader Shawn Langdon and second-place Antron Brown.

Schumacher won the race from the No. 1 qualifying position and defeated Jenna Haddock, Spencer Massey, and Brown in earlier rounds to advance to the final.

“I have to give the trophy, the credit, every bit of it to the team this week,” Schumacher said. “I was off. My lights were slower than they’ve been, and everything I tried to do really couldn’t fix it. [Crew chief] Mike Green and Neal [Strausbaugh, assistant crew chief] said, ‘We’ll fight through this. Just do your best.’ They give you confidence with a fast race car.

"I’m not going to go home and put the trophy on my shelf and feel fulfilled. It should go to Mike’s house, and he should feel fulfilled.”

Rodger Brogdon

Brogdon claimed his third career Pro Stock victory and first of the season by outrunning Erica Enders-Stevens in the final round. In a battle between Chevrolets, Brodgon pulled away with a 6.560 at 211.49 in his RoofTec Camaro while event No. 1 qualifier and reigning world champ Enders-Stevens trailed with a 6.640 at 205.51 in her Elite Motorsports Camaro.

“We started off with Elite Motorsports this year, and that makes everything a lot easier,” Brogdon said. “This is the earliest I’ve ever won a race. It’s great to win one early, and I am the points leader for the first time in my career. I think we’ve got a great opportunity this season. Everybody who follows this sport knows how hard it is to win a race. This is fantastic. My crew is telling me this car is going to be faster at Gainesville, so I think we are going to have some fun this year.”

Beautiful weather and the lure of ground-pounding nitro and great racing drew large crowds of fans to Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park for the final day of qualifying. The fans who packed the stands were treated to some great times and some shuffling within the fields that were set for tomorrow’s eliminations.

The Racers For Christ Children’s Program was a popular draw for the kids in the pits today, including Jack Beckman’s son, Jason, who took part in the face painting.

Rodger Brogdon continued his strong showing, pacing the first session of today with a 6.555 that stood as the quickest time of the day. Brogdon followed that run up with a 6.572 in Q4 that was third-quickest of that round.

After a pair of 6.562s on Friday, Jason Line’s bracket-like consistency carried into the third qualifying round, in which he posted another 6.56, this one with a four.

We’re going to go out on a limb and say this young fan really enjoyed watching the nitro cars take to the track for final qualifying today. It’s unknown if this was his first time at the drags, but he has the look of someone getting their Baptism by Nitro.

Tony Schumacher picked up right where he left off yesterday, running the quickest time of the third round of Top Fuel qualifying with a 3.752. Schumacher later picked up another two bonus points in Q4.

Tommy Johnson Jr. stunned everyone with a 4.003 during today’s first session. The run was three-hundredths quicker than the rest of the field that round, and it moved him up to No. 3 at that time. Johnson ultimately landed in the No. 4 slot.

After struggling through Friday, Jack Beckman, who also had several challenges in Pomona and failed to qualify there, got things turned around in Q3. Beckman wheeled his Infinite Hero Dodge to a 4.04 that easily got him qualified.

Local Jr. Dragster competitors have their cars on display, and they made exhibition runs between Pro sessions today to promote the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League.

Shane Gray was the quickest driver of the final Pro Stock qualifying session, driving his Gray Motorsports Chevy to a 6.566 that was just one-thousandth off his qualifying time.

Larry Morgan has had a pretty solid weekend thus far with a series of competitive 6.5-second passes, including a 6.571 that was the second-best time of Q4.

Richie Crampton had a great Saturday, earning bonus points in both sessions. In Q4, Crampton blasted to a 3.739 that moved him to the No. 3 starting spot. The run followed a 3.77 earlier in the day that was the second-best time of the third qualifying round.

Steve Torrence picked up one qualifying bonus point in the final Top Fuel session when he posted a 3.760. Torrence starts race day from the No. 7 spot.

Former Pro Stock standout Dave Connolly had a great Saturday in his C&J Energy Services Top Fueler, posting times of 3.82 and 3.80. Connolly qualified 12th and will square off against Antron Brown in the first round.

Pomona champ Matt Hagan recorded the fifth-quickest time in NHRA history, a 3.978, during the final qualifying session to move to the top of the Funny Car order. The run was also a career best for the reigning world champion.

Shane Westerfield will make his first career nitro Funny Car start after he was able to drive the Worsham family-owned flopper to a 4.558 that was good enough for the 15th spot on the sheets. Westerfield’s qualifying effort wasn’t without drama, however. In Q3, he lit it up as he went through the lights, kicking most of the rods out of the engine.

Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Erica Enders-Stevens (Pro Stock) also will lead their classes into Sunday’s 11 a.m. eliminations as the No. 1 qualifiers at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event.

Schumacher powered his U.S. Army dragster to a career-best performance of 3.722 seconds at 325.61 mph during Friday’s second session. In addition to the track record on Friday, the four-time Phoenix winner also had one of the quickest dragsters during Saturday’s two sessions, posting a pair of low 3.7-second runs.

Tony Schumacher

“It is great that we went down the track on all four runs and got every point except one,” Schumacher said. “It is more impressive that the run was my career best. The car is making good, quality runs down the track, and it is being consistent. If we can continue to do that, we’ve got a good chance of going out and winning some races.”

The eight-time champ will face Jenna Haddock in the first round of eliminations as he looks to get his season on track after a disappointing first-round loss at the season opener two weeks ago in Pomona. The round is a rematch from last year's Denver race when Haddock defeated Schumacher in her first career start.

"We’ll go out there and do our job, not try to smoke the tires in the first round like we did in Denver," Schumacher said. "That was an exciting win when she beat me in Denver – I just don’t want her to get used to it.”

Doug Kalitta qualified second and will race Clay Millican, and last year’s top rookie Richie Crampton posted the quickest run in the final session Saturday to move to third overall. Winternationals winner and current series points leader Shawn Langdon qualified sixth and will face Leah Pritchett in the first round.

Matt Hagan

Reigning Funny Car world champ Hagan powered his Mopar Express Lane/Rocky Boots Dodge Charger R/T to a track record time of 3.978 at 320.28 mph as he is seeking his second victory of the season.

“It speaks volumes of why we are a championship team,” said Hagan, who will meet Jeff Diehl in the opener. “I have a great crew and race car, and I am blessed to be able to drive the wheels off it. That thing was just really digging and posted some great numbers. This team continues to grow, and we are really coming together and have great chemistry. I am very excited what this year has to hold for us, and I think we are going to win a lot of races this season.”

Friday leader Courtney Force will start from the second spot in her Traxxas Chevy Camaro SS and face rookie Shane Westerfield, and third qualifier Del Worsham will race rookie John Hale in the opening round. Eight-time Phoenix winner John Force qualified seventh in his Peak Camaro and will meet teammate Robert Hight in the opening round. Last year's winner here, Alexis DeJoria, qualified fourth in her Patron XO Cafe Incendio Toyota Camry and will pair up with Tony Pedregon in the first round.

Erica Enders-Stevens

In Pro Stock, Enders-Stevens earned her 14th career No. 1 and second of the season with her Friday best of 6.545 at 211.20 in her Elite Motorsports Chevy Camaro. She will open against Joey Grose.

“It’s just a great start to the year for an entire Elite Motorsports team, a better start to the year than we had in 2014, so I’m really proud of them,” Enders-Stevens said, who won this race in 2013. “It would definitely be great to win early in the year. It, obviously, doesn’t determine where you end up, but it certainly helps boost confidence and morale, but I’m really blessed with a team where we always have fun no matter what. It would be great. I mean, I would never turn down a win, for sure, but to start off early, it would be wonderful.”

Rodger Brogdon qualified second and will race Deric Kramer, and rookie sensation Drew Skillman, who finished runner-up in his Pro debut at Pomona two weeks ago, qualified third and will face Phoenix resident Matt Hartford.

In addition to getting autographs from their favorite drivers and seeing the crews tear down and rebuild the race cars in the pits, fans can also check out various displays from NHRA backers, including series sponsor Mello Yello, which offers free samples in its interactive display.

Rodger Brogdon paced the first session of the day with a 6.545. Brogdon’s time remained the quickest of the day, but it was later matched by Erica Enders-Stevens

Chris McGaha started his weekend off strong, posting a 6.559 in the first Pro Stock qualifying round. He did not improve on that number in Q2, running a 6.563, but the time was good enough for No. 5 slot Saturday.

Pomona Funny Car champ Matt Hagan paced the first qualifying round with a 4.025, which held as his quickest time of the day and ultimately landed him fourth in the order.

Pomona No. 1 qualifier Erica Enders-Stevens is again leading the Pro Stock contingent in Phoenix. Enders-Stevens clocked a 6.545 on her second attempt, matching the time recorded earlier in the day by Rodger Brogdon, but Enders-Stevens got the top spot on speed, 211.20 to 210.90 mph.

Rookie Drew Skillman continued to shine, finishing the opening day ranked third in the order. Skillman, the runner-up in Pomona, recorded a pair of 6.5s, including a best of 6.548.

Robert Hight had some special guests at the track with him today: Dodgers head utility infielder Justin Turner, left, and Dodgers center fielder Joc Pederson. The pair took a tour of Hight’s pits between qualifying sessions, then stood on the starting line for Hight’s Q2 run.

As she did in Pomona, Courtney Force clocked the only three-second run in Funny Car, powering to a 3.996 that has her on the provisional pole entering final qualifying.

Alexis DeJoria, who broke through for her first Funny Car win at this event last season, continued her love affair with the Phoenix track, posting 4.06 and 4.00 runs during today’s two sessions. Her 4.000 has her ranked second behind Courtney Force.

After smoking the tires in the first qualifying session, Del Worsham rebounded in Q2, wheeling his DHL Toyota to a 4.005 that has him sitting third in the Funny Car order.

Tony Schumacher dominated the first day of Top Fuel qualifying, leading both sessions. In the second round of qualifying, Schumacher set a new Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park track record with his 3.722 that gives him the No. 1 spot.

Doug Kalitta made a nice rebound in Q2 after smoking the tires on his first run of the weekend, posting a 3.733 that has Kalitta second in the order behind Tony Schumacher.

After a tough opening race in Pomona, where he qualified 15th, J.R. Todd had a great first day in Phoenix with 3.76- and 3.75-second passes. Todd is ranked third in the Top Fuel order.

Terry McMillen, who has added help from veteran tuner Johnny West this weekend, made his best run of the 2015 season, posting a 3.844 that has him sitting 10th after two sessions.

The opening day of the CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals was capped by exhibition runs by a pair of jet cars. Both made full runs downtrack with times of 5.60 and 5.70.

]]>Schumacher, Force, Enders-Stevens lead first day in Phoenixurn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72015-02-20T23:37:00Z

Courtney Force raced to the qualifying lead in Funny Car during Friday qualifying at the CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals in Phoenix.

Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel) and Erica Enders-Stevens (Pro Stock) also were qualifying leaders at the second race of the 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing season.

Force ran a 3.996-second pass at 321.58 mph in her Traxxas Chevy Camaro during the second session of qualifying at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park to take the top spot in her category and record a track record speed. Force was the only Funny Car racer to record a run quicker than four seconds on the first day of qualifying. At the season opener in Pomona two weeks ago, Force sprinted to a 3.995-second run in the third round of qualifying to enter race day No. 1.

Courtney Force

Tony Schumacher

Erica Enders-Stevens

“We just tried to get down there and put up a good, solid pass,” Force said. “It feels good to put a three-second run on the board this year and not just once. It’s fun for the team. We’ve never had the best luck here, so we’re trying to turn that around.”

Reigning event winner Alexis DeJoria is second in Funny Car with a 4.000 at 313.58 in her Patron XO Café Incendio Toyota Camry. Del Worsham is third in his DHL Toyota Camry with a 4.005 at 318.27, and Matt Hagan, the reigning world champion, qualified fourth with a 4.025 at 316.60 in his Mopar Express Lane/Rocky Boots Dodge Charger.

In Top Fuel, Schumacher recorded a performance of 3.722 at 325.61 in the U.S. Army dragster during the final pair of cars on the final session, marking the quickest pass of the eight-time world champion’s career and a track record for time. At the season opener in Pomona, Schumacher was upset in the first round of racing.

“Mike Green [crew chief] and Neal [Strausbaugh, assistant crew chief] didn’t like what they saw in Pomona and made some changes,” Schumacher said. “I feel like this track has really come around. We just ran my quickest run ever right here, right now. The fans are getting their money’s worth. Kalitta, [Shawn] Langdon, and our team cars can pull off miracles, but barring a miracle, I think that's going to hold.”

Doug Kalitta, the No. 1 qualifier here last season, was second with a 3.733 at 329.02 in his Mac Tools dragster. J.R. Todd took the third spot with a 3.753 at 323.12 in his Red Line Oil/Kalitta Air dragster and behind him, in fourth, was the 2014 Phoenix champion, Antron Brown. Brown posted a 3.753 at 318.69 in the Matco Tools/U.S. Army dragster.

In Pro Stock, reigning world champion Enders-Stevens took the qualifying lead with a 6.545 at 211.20 in her Elite Motorsports Chevy Camaro.

“We’re still learning, trying to acquire some data, and having some team cars out there really helps,” Enders-Stevens said. “We’ve got four guys in Pro Stock, including myself, that are running Elite Performance power, and three of us are [Nos.] 1-2-3, so I’m very proud of my team. I’m happy to be on top here after Friday, but we’ve got our work cut out for us tomorrow.”

Rodger Brogdon was second with a 6.545 at 210.90 in his RoofTec Camaro. Rookie sensation Drew Skillman, who was runner-up at Pomona in his first career Pro start, qualified third with a 6.548 at 211.03 in his Camaro. Allen Johnson won Phoenix in 2014 and sits fourth in the qualifying order with a 6.551 at 211.36 in his Magneti Marelli Dodge Dart.

]]>Phoenix coverage on NationalDragster.neturn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72015-02-20T13:06:00ZRacing is under way in Phoenixurn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72015-02-20T12:55:00ZPro Stock’s Johnson back for more good vibes in Phoenixurn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72015-02-19T22:30:00Z

Entering the season with high hopes, 2012 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock world champion Allen Johnson didn’t have quite the 2015 opener he wanted at the NHRA Winternationals in Pomona.

Based on recent history, Johnson could be ready for an impressive rebound this weekend at the 31st annual CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park. A season ago, Johnson lost in the first round in Pomona and followed that up with the first of his four wins in 2014, knocking off V Gaines in the final round at the fan-favorite dragstrip near Phoenix.

After a second-round defeat this season in Pomona, Johnson wouldn’t mind a similar bounce back in Phoenix.

“It’s nice to go back to a track as a defending winner,” said Johnson, a two-time winner in Phoenix. “Last year’s win was to make up for a bad start I had at Pomona. We have tested at Phoenix this off season and I feel confident going into this weekend.”

The top drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock will all head to Phoenix for the second of 24 races on the 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Series circuit. Antron Brown (Top Fuel) and Alexis DeJoria (Funny Car) joined Johnson as last year’s winners of the event that will once again be televised nationally on ESPN2.

Johnson’s return to Phoenix will mark his first appearance at the track in his Magneti Marelli Dodge Dart after winning in 2014 at the controls of his Dodge Avenger. The new Dart has served him well as Johnson went to five final round appearances in the car, finishing sixth in points.

But Johnson struggled in the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship, only advancing past the second round in one of the six playoff races and going winless over the final 10 events following his usual domination in Denver. Johnson, though, feels his team, led by new crew chief Adam Hornberger, has regrouped in fine fashion and is ready for another championship pursuit in 2015.

“After making some changes in the off-season, so far in this new year I feel like the team communicates and works together very well,” Johnson said. “We may still have some growing to do, but it’s a long year until the Countdown starts and the Magneti Marelli crew guys will be ready. You have to keep it in perspective at the beginning with some new blood. The biggest thing is to build on the positives and work on the bad spots together. That will be the key for us this year.”

Nothing will come easy in a loaded Pro Stock class, which features reigning Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders-Stevens. She won at Phoenix in 2013 and will be looking to open her championship defense in style, but Jason Line, a two-time world champ and 2012 Phoenix winner, won in Pomona to get his 2015 season started strong in his Summit Racing Chevy Camaro.

Other top challengers who will try to prevent Johnson from repeating as the Pro Stock winner in Phoenix includes four-time world champ Greg Anderson, Gray Motorsports teammates Shane Gray and Jonathan Gray, rookie sensation Drew Skillman who was runner-up at Pomona, former Phoenix winner Vincent Nobile and Texan Chris McGaha.

Prior success at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park is a big factor for Johnson, who insists he’ll take plenty of momentum into the event based on last year’s victory, even if it did come in a different car.

“Having success at a track just gives us even more confidence when we come back,” Johnson said. “Last year we won with in our last outing with the Avenger. It would be great to get a win here with the new Dodge Dart.”

As always, fans will have the opportunity to interact with their favorite drivers as they’re granted an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. This unique opportunity in motorsports gives fans direct access to the teams, allowing them to see firsthand the highly-skilled mechanics service their hot rods between rounds, and enjoy some cherished face time and get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers.

Fans also will want to visit NHRA’s popular Nitro Alley and Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and race vendors create a carnival atmosphere, with interactive displays, simulated competitions, merchandise, food and fun for the entire family.

The event will also feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.

Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying begins Friday, Feb. 20, with sessions at 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. The final two qualifying sessions will take place Saturday, Feb. 21, at 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 22.

The Head, Inc. Toyota Race Team, and Western Sales Management Auctioneers will again be joining forces with sponsorship of the Columbus, Ohio-based team for the NHRA CARQUEST Auto Parts Nationals at the Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park on Feb. 20-22.

“We’re very excited to partner with WSM Auctioneers for a second year at Phoenix and they’re a family business and so are we and I think it’s a great fit for us,” said Head, Inc. Funny Car driver, Chad Head. “We welcome WSM back to our organization and glad it was a big success for them last year and our goal is to continue to make it grow each year.”

WSM Auctioneers has been in business since 1971 and specializes in the sales of construction equipment, utility trucks, light trucks, equipment trailers and recreational vehicles. WSM also sells building material, structural steel, shop equipment and power and hand tools.

“It was such a great success for our customers and clients last year that WSM wanted to again sponsor the Head Racing team,” said owner/president of WSM Auctioneers, John Cadzow. “I’ve always loved the sport and I drive my own Top Fuel sand dragster. We’re hoping to gain exposure for our company and since we have our regular auction on every second Saturday of every month here in Phoenix, it would be a great way to get our company’s message across to those people in the construction and utility business.

“There are a lot of fans at every race who are connected one way or another with the construction business either with their own company or work for one. The partnership with Head Inc. Toyota Racing team is to let people know Western Sales Management is out there and have services we can offer them in the heavy equipment market. “

Head’s Toyota will be adorned with the livery of the green, yellow, and black company colors of WSM Auctioneers this weekend at Phoenix and the 41-year old Head is approaching the race weekend with plenty of optimism.

“We’re looking at coming out swinging strong in the first round of qualifying in Phoenix trying to rebound from our tough break at Pomona. Our Head, Inc. Toyota Camry has shown plenty of potential and we just have to get the job done and I have no doubt we will.”

Tommy Johnson Jr.’s first full-time season in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series since 2008 proved to be a rousing success in 2014. Jumping back into the highly competitive Funny Car ranks, Johnson finished third in points and is ready for more in 2015.

After making steady progress and noticeable improvement throughout a strong 2014 season, Johnson could be ready to take the next step in the world championship hunt.

Johnson qualified second to open the 2015 campaign in Pomona and knows that his 10,000-horsepower Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger R/T is capable of performing at championship level. His next chance to prove that comes this weekend at the 31st annual CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park.

“We had a really good weekend in Pomona,” Johnson said. “The results didn't show how great of a weekend it was, but we were very encouraged as far as momentum and gaining confidence on how our car is going to perform this year. We made some really good runs, and that is just a sign of what's to come. Our Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger is going to be one of the cars to beat if we just keep this up.”

The top drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock will head to Phoenix for the second of 24 races on the 2015 circuit. Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Alexis DeJoria (Funny Car), and Allen Johnson (Pro Stock) were last year’s winners of the event that will again be televised nationally on ESPN2.

As Johnson got more comfortable in his Charger, impressive results followed, including a victory in Bristol that was his first visit to the winner’s circle since 2007. He performed well in the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship, taking a runner-up finish in Reading and advancing to two semifinals, finishing only behind reigning champion Matt Hagan and Funny Car icon John Force.

Those performances have carried over to 2015, where Johnson and his talented team, led by crew chief John Collins, are locked in. He lost a thrilling second-round matchup against Robert Hight in Pomona, running as quick as 4.018 during the weekend, which has Johnson fully confident that his team is on the cusp of a winning combination.

“Nothing will change for us going into Phoenix,” Johnson said. “We're just very pleased with everything, and we can't wait to get there so that we can build on what we did last week in Pomona and then go from there.”

The CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals also has added meaning for Johnson because his sponsor, Make-A-Wish, is headquartered in Phoenix. By way of that sponsorship, Johnson has grown extremely close to the association, which would make a strong Phoenix performance that much sweeter.

“We've made so many friends in the past year being associated with this great foundation thanks to our sponsor Terry Chandler,” Johnson said. “It’s really something to have Make-A-Wish and all of the Wish Kids cheering on their car.”

Johnson will have to knock off a strong list of stars in Funny Car, including DeJoria, who is going after her second straight win at the track. Reigning Funny Car world champion Hagan is off to a quick start after winning in Pomona, and Force has eight wins at the track. Other top standouts include three-time Phoenix winners Jack Beckman and Ron Capps, two-time winner Del Worsham, and Funny Car’s winningest woman, Courtney Force.

Johnson has had success in Phoenix, winning in 2006, and the 10-time winner hopes to add to his career collection at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park.

“I would love nothing more than to have a great performance and hopefully a win in front of our friends from Make-A-Wish headquarters and the Wish Kids who will be out there with us that weekend,” said Johnson, whose 10 career victories are split at eight in Funny Car and two in Top Fuel.

One year ago, Brown claimed victory in Phoenix, the first of six wins for the season in Top Fuel. That was the most for the class in 2014, but it was Tony Schumacher, who has four Phoenix wins, who claimed the world championship. Three-time winner Larry Dixon, 2001 winner Doug Kalitta, Spencer Massey, rookie of the year Richie Crampton, Pomona winner and 2013 world champ Shawn Langdon, Brittany Force, and second-place points finisher J.R. Todd also figure to be in the running in Phoenix.

Reigning Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders-Stevens won in Phoenix in 2013 and will be looking to open her championship defense in style. Jason Line, a two-time world champ and the 2012 Phoenix winner, also won in Pomona to kick off 2015 and is among the top challengers in Pro Stock along with four-time world champ Greg Anderson, Gray Motorsports teammates Shane Gray and Jonathan Gray, 2014 Phoenix winner Allen Johnson, and last season’s runner-up, V. Gaines.

As always, fans will have the opportunity to interact with their favorite drivers as they’re granted an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. This unique opportunity in motorsports gives fans direct access to the teams, allowing them to see firsthand the highly skilled mechanics service their hot rods between rounds and enjoy cherished face time with and get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers.

Fans also will want to visit NHRA’s popular Nitro Alley and Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and race vendors create a carnival atmosphere with interactive displays, simulated competitions, merchandise, food, and fun for the entire family.

The event will also feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.

Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying begins Friday, Feb. 20, with sessions at 1:30 and 4 p.m. The final two qualifying sessions will take place Saturday, Feb. 21, at 1:30 and 4 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 22.

To purchase general-admission or reserved seats, call (800) 884-NHRA (6472) or log on to NHRA.com/tickets.

The site of his first NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Top Fuel win as well as his most recent, Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park has always held a special place in the heart of three-time NHRA world champion Larry Dixon.

Add in the fact that Dixon is competing in a full-time role for the first time since 2011, and it is pretty easy to understand why the longtime Top Fuel star cannot wait to arrive in Phoenix for this weekend’s 31st annual CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals.

Driving his 10,000-horsepower C&J Energy/Casedhole/TEAS/Tiger dragster as part of Bob Vandergriff Jr.’s two-car Top Fuel team, Dixon will take plenty of good vibes to a track that has produced three of his 62 career victories, including his first in 1995 and his most recent in 2011.

“I have a lot of good memories racing in Phoenix, and I love racing there,” Dixon said. “It can be a challenging track, but having good memories at a track where you’ve done well gives you a good mindset going in.”

The top drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock will head to Phoenix for the second of 24 races on the 2015 circuit. Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Alexis DeJoria (Funny Car), and Allen Johnson (Pro Stock) were last year’s winners of the event that will again be televised nationally on ESPN2.

It might be the perfect place for Dixon to return to the winner’s circle after a solid start to open the season in Pomona. He qualified seventh and advanced to the semifinals, giving his young team, led by crew chief Mike Guger, plenty of early-season momentum.

As for Dixon, he is beyond elated to be competing in a full-time role. That moment hit him in Pomona right before eliminations, and Dixon, who last won a championship in 2010, plans to take full advantage of it in 2015.

“Overall, with it being a brand-new team, I thought we did well,” Dixon said. “We qualified well, went some rounds, and are sitting in a good spot in the points. We’re definitely looking forward to going to Phoenix. It’s not a right to be driving one of these Top Fuel cars; it’s a privilege. I’ve been given that opportunity, and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Adding to Dixon’s enthusiasm for the 2015 season is his pairing with teammate Dave Connolly, a longtime standout in Pro Stock who made his Top Fuel debut in Pomona. Dixon has embraced the role of teacher in aiding Connolly’s Top Fuel progression, and the end result could be both teams competing in the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship.

“We ride to the track together, and we have been able to spend a lot of time together,” said Dixon, who beat Connolly in a first-round matchup in Pomona. “He’ll ask me some questions, and I’ll try to relay the experiences I’ve had and things that I’ve done. He’s going to be great in his own right. The better he does, the better the team as a whole does.”

A strong two-car team will be needed against a loaded Top Fuel field. Brown picked up the first of his six 2014 class wins a year ago in Phoenix, but it was Tony Schumacher, who has four victories at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, who claimed his eighth world championship in 2014. Doug Kalitta, Spencer Massey, rookie of the year Richie Crampton, Pomona winner and 2013 world champ Shawn Langdon, rising star Brittany Force, and second-place points finisher J.R. Todd also figure to be in the running to grab the Wally in Phoenix.

But Dixon fully believes that his team can compete with anybody on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series circuit. He has been around championship teams throughout his impressive career and sees plenty of those same attributes on his current squad.

“What really stood out [in Pomona] was the calmness from everybody,” Dixon said. “Our test session in West Palm Beach [Fla.] went well, and everyone is doing a great job. I’m pretty excited to be part of this team. The guys have been around good drivers, crew chiefs, and teams, and I don’t see any reason why this team can’t compete for wins and a championship. We just need more runs. That experience is vital.”

As always, fans will have the opportunity to interact with their favorite drivers as they’re granted an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. This unique opportunity in motorsports gives fans direct access to the teams, allowing them to see firsthand the highly skilled mechanics service their hot rods between rounds and enjoy cherished face time with and get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers.

Fans also will want to visit NHRA’s popular Nitro Alley and Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and race vendors create a carnival atmosphere with interactive displays, simulated competitions, merchandise, food, and fun for the entire family.

The event will also feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.

Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying begins Friday, Feb. 20, with sessions at 1:30 and 4 p.m. The final two qualifying sessions will take place Saturday, Feb. 21, at 1:30 and 4 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 22.

To purchase general-admission or reserved seats, call 800-884-NHRA (6472) or log on to NHRA.com/tickets.

]]>DeJoria takes great memories back to Phoenixurn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72015-02-18T17:01:00Z

Funny Car standout Alexis DeJoria experienced a breakout 2014 season in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, and it all started at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park.

DeJoria picked up her first career Funny Car victory a year ago at the track, kicking off her ascension to a championship contender in the star-studded class. Two more victories followed the Phoenix win, as well as qualifying for the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship for the first time.

With those memories still fresh in her mind, DeJoria will compete in her first event as the reigning event champion at the 31st annual CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals, Feb. 20-22. Now a known contender, DeJoria hopes to apply those lessons she learned one year ago toward a successful 2015 season at the controls of her 10,000-horsepower Patron XO Café Incendio Toyota Camry.

“I learned a lot of things last year, especially in the Countdown,” DeJoria said. “With that knowledge and my first Countdown under my belt, I should do a much better job this year. All the wins, the losses, being in the hunt; all of that combined made for a really big year for us. We want to continue that momentum.”

The top drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock are heading to Phoenix for the second of 24 races on the 2015 circuit. Antron Brown (Top Fuel) and Allen Johnson (Pro Stock) joined DeJoria as winners last year of the event that will again be televised nationally on ESPN2.

That Phoenix victory jump-started DeJoria’s standout season, which also included victories in Las Vegas and at the prestigious Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. In all, DeJoria advanced to at least the semifinals at 10 races, posting a top-10 finish for the first time in her Funny Car career.

DeJoria also became the first woman to record a three-second run in Funny Car, one more highlight in her breakout season. But the victories started in Phoenix, and DeJoria, who lost in the first round in Pomona to kick off the 2015 season, wouldn’t mind repeating the process.

“I’m really excited to come back as the CARQUEST Nationals defending champion,” DeJoria said. “Hopefully we can back up what we accomplished there last year and get another Phoenix Wally.”

The victory at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park continues to stand out for DeJoria for a number of reasons. She knocked off a standout list of drivers in eliminations, including Robert Hight in the final round, but DeJoria also has one unique aspect of her Phoenix win that quickly comes to mind, and it revolves around her husband, Jesse James.

“My favorite memory would have to be after my final run when I won, all the guys were so excited, and they jumped into our van and raced down the return road to come meet me,” DeJoria said. “Well, they forgot Jesse was standing in the doorway of the van hanging on to the outside. They took a corner really fast, and as soon as they turned the corner, he tumbled right out of the van as they were driving! He got cut up pretty good, but he put some duct tape on it and was good to go.”

To succeed in Phoenix for a second straight year, DeJoria will need to overcome a huge list of challengers. Reigning Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan is off to a quick start after winning the season opener in Pomona, and John Force has eight wins at the track. Other top standouts include three-time Phoenix winners Jack Beckman and Ron Capps, two-time winner Del Worsham, and Funny Car’s winningest woman, Courtney Force.

In building a championship resume a year ago, DeJoria and her Kalitta Motorsports team, led by crew chief Tommy DeLago, came together in impressive fashion. Considering there was no turnover for the entire organization, which includes Worsham and Top Fuel drivers Doug Kalitta and J.R. Todd, team cohesiveness should continue to be a strength and is a dynamic that DeJoria is counting on in 2015.

“As a team, we became stronger because of everything we’ve been through over these past few years, both the good and the bad,” DeJoria said. “We have the same guys on the team as last year. In fact, we had no turnover at Kalitta Motorsports whatsoever from 2014 to 2015. It feels good to have that family unit.”

One year ago, Brown raced to his first of six season wins in Top Fuel. That was the most for the class in 2014, but it was Tony Schumacher, who has four Phoenix wins, who claimed the world championship crown. Three-time winner Larry Dixon, 2001 winner Kalitta, Spencer Massey, rookie of the year Richie Crampton, Pomona winner and 2013 world champ Shawn Langdon, Brittany Force, and second-place points finisher Todd also figure to be in the running in Phoenix.

Reigning Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders-Stevens won in Phoenix in 2013 and will be looking to open her championship defense in style. Jason Line, a two-time world champ and the 2012 Phoenix winner, who also won in Pomona to kick off 2015, is among the top challengers in the Pro Stock lineup, which also includes four-time world champ Greg Anderson; Gray Motorsports teammates Shane Gray and Jonathan Gray; surprise rookie challenger Drew Skillman, the runner-up in Pomona; 2014 Phoenix winner Allen Johnson; and last season’s runner-up, V. Gaines.

As always, fans will have the opportunity to interact with their favorite drivers as they’re granted an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. This unique opportunity in motorsports gives fans direct access to the teams, allowing them to see firsthand the highly skilled mechanics service their hot rods between rounds and enjoy cherished face time with and get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers.

Fans also will want to visit NHRA’s popular Nitro Alley and Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and race vendors create a carnival atmosphere with interactive displays, simulated competitions, merchandise, food, and fun for the entire family.

The event will also feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.

Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying begins Friday, Feb. 20, with sessions at 1:30 and 4 p.m. The final two qualifying sessions will take place Saturday, Feb. 21, at 1:30 and 4 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 22.

To purchase general-admission or reserved seats, call (800) 884-NHRA (6472) or log on to NHRA.com/tickets.

]]>DSR, Massey to debut Sandvik Coromant Top Fueler in Phoenixurn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72015-02-18T12:31:00ZSandvik Coromant, the world’s leading producer of tools for the metal cutting industry, has expanded its partnership with Don Schumacher Racing by becoming the primary sponsor on the Top Fuel dragster driven by Spencer Massey for eight events this year in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

The dragster, with a sleek graphic design by DSR’s Aaron Holland, will debut Friday in the first qualifying session of the Mello Yello event at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park near Phoenix.

Sandvik Coromant supplies the DSR machine shop with the world’s best cutting tools and has previously been the primary sponsor for Antron Brown and Jack Beckman in 2013 and 2014, respectively. In 2012, Brown won the NHRA Top Fuel world championship and Beckman won the championship in Funny Car driving a Dodge Charger R/T.

“Sandvik Coromant has played a prominent role in helping DSR win so many trophies and championships,” said Don Schumacher, the hall-of-fame owner of DSR. DSR has won 13 NHRA world championships and 241 event titles, which is the most of any professional drag racing organization. “We make more than 400 parts in our machine shop for DSR and other NHRA teams. The world class quality we produce is possible because of the advanced machining solutions and cutting tools provided by Sandvik Coromant.”

Sandvik Coromant has helped DSR improve its engineering and production of cylinder heads, clutch assemblies, connecting rods and other vital components.

"Sandvik Coromant is very excited with the opportunity to increase our level of engagement with the DSR organization,” said Brian Flores, Sandvik Coromant’s senior manager for branding and education. “From helping with technical machining efficiency in the DSR shop, to watching the finished parts perform at the most extreme and highest level on the track, our partnership is stronger than ever. Our customers now have even more opportunities to experience high performance engineering and machining at its best."

Massey, who is in his eighth year of Top Fuel racing and fifth with DSR, has won 17 titles and advanced to the championship round 31 times in 120 events. He arrives at Phoenix ranked third in Mello Yello points after qualifying third and advancing to the semifinals at the season-opening NHRA Winternationals Feb. 6-8 at Pomona, Calif., with the team led by crew chiefs Todd Okuhara and Phil Shuler.

Mike's notes: Shawn had a great car in Pomona (thanks, Captain Obvious). He was the first Top Fuel driver to win the Winternationals from the No. 1 spot since 1999, ran the quickest time in history, and had a very consistent car on race day. Even though the team doesn't have backing to run the whole season, Alan Johnson will make sure they have everything they need to win every race they show up to. Let's hope they get the funding. This is too good of a team to be on the sidelines.

FUNNY CAR

Rank

Driver

Plus/minus

1.

Del Worsham

NR

2.

Tommy Johnson Jr.

+1

3.

Matt Hagan

-2

Mike's notes: When I did my numbers from Pomona, the best car through qualifying and eliminations won in Top Fuel and Pro Stock. That was not the case in Funny Car, which should be no surprise. It is the hardest class to predict. Del had the best car of the weekend, but Matt got the win because they ran the number when they needed it, and Matt just stayed steady in the cockpit and waited for the car to come back to him, which is what champions do! It was a great win.

PRO STOCK

Rank

Driver

Plus/minus

1.

Jason Line

+1

2.

Roger Brogdon

NR

3.

Erica Enders-Stevens

-2

Mike's notes: You could make the case that Jason dominated in Pomona with a No. 2 qualifying position and low e.t. of every round to get the win. But when I looked at the numbers after the race, it was amazing. Jason was low the first two rounds by a mere one thousandth of a second, and Brogdon tied him in the semi’s for low of the round with Jason winning on a holeshot. Drew Skillman looked great in his first Pro Stock event, but Larry Morgan and Chris McGaha also were strong.

The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season is in full force and arrives in Florida for one of the most tradition-rich drag races in the world, the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Auto-Plus Raceway at Gainesville, March 12-15, the third of 24 races in the 2015 season.

The Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, the traditional East Coast opener on the Mello Yello Series circuit, will feature the biggest stars in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series as they set out to conquer “the Swamp.” A win at this event can mean great momentum as drivers pursue NHRA Mello Yello world championship glory during the season that crisscrosses the United States. Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car), Allen Johnson (Pro Stock), and Steve Johnson (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were last year’s winners of the event that will once again be televised on ESPN2.

Celebrating its 46th running, the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals has entertained spring-break-loving fans for parts of five decades and brings lots of star power to the historic dragstrip, including many of the sport’s greatest legends, like “Big Daddy” Don Garlits, and this year will be no different. Along with the brightest personalities in the track’s history, fans will be treated to an all-American nitro spring break, and with kids 12 and younger admitted free to the general-admission areas with a paid adult, the event is a perfect family getaway.

Long considered one of the fastest tracks on the NHRA circuit, it was from this legendary point that drivers clocked the first 260-, 270-, and 300-mph Top Fuel runs. Perhaps the most memorable of those was Kenny Bernstein’s historic first 300-mph Top Fuel pass in 1992.

The Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals will also be the season’s first of 16 events for the Pro Stock Motorcycle category. Riders will be looking to knock reigning series champion Andrew Hines off his title perch. Last year, Hines and his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson teammate Eddie Krawiec dominated the series by combining to win 11 of the 16 events. Hines won his fourth world championship and first of the Countdown to the Championship era and sits two titles behind Dave Schultz.

In Top Fuel, Kalitta defeated Antron Brown in a thrilling final last season to claim his second Gatornationals victory. The win propelled Kalitta and his Mac Tools dragster to the top of the leaderboard in points, and he would enter the Countdown as the No. 1 seed. Kalitta, the winningest Top Fuel driver to have not won a world championship, is looking for a repeat performance in Gainesville and is always a threat in the East Coast opener.

Brown, driver of the Matco Tools dragster, won Gainesville in 2013 and came close again in 2014. Fresh off a runner-up finish at the season-opening Circle K NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Brown and his Don Schumacher Racing teammates, Spencer Massey and reigning world champ Tony Schumacher, will be among the top challengers. Joining them in the field will be 2014 rookie of the year Richie Crampton, three-time world champ Larry Dixon, Amalie Motor Oil fan-favorite Terry McMillen, and Brittany Force.

Hight was the hero of Funny Car in Gainesville in 2014, defeating team owner John Force in the final. The John Force Racing Funny Cars come to Gainesville with an all-new look. With longtime supporters Ford and Castrol departing at the end of 2014, Chevrolet and Peak Antifreeze stepped in for 2015. Hight will bring his new-look Auto Club Chevy Camaro SS to Gainesville looking to repeat. Courtney Force, who unveiled a wildly colorful paint scheme on her Traxxas Chevy Camaro SS in Pomona, is looking to become the first female Funny Car winner at the Gatornationals. John Force will display his new-look Peak Chevy Camaro SS to all the East Coast fans for the first time.

Reigning world champ Hagan figures to be a major factor in Gainesville but has yet to record a win at the historic facility. He opened 2015 on a high note with his season-opening victory at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. DSR teammates Ron Capps and Tommy Johnson Jr., three-time national event winner Alexis DeJoria, and two-time world champ Cruz Pedregon will all be competitive in Gainesville.

Allen Johnson, the 2012 Pro Stock world champ, got the best of eventual 2014 world champ Erica Enders-Stevens in the final in Gainesville last season. Johnson struggled at the end of 2014 and comes to Gainesville looking for progress in his Magneti-Marelli Dodge Dart. Enders-Stevens shined during the Countdown, claiming her first world championship in a final-round winner-take-all showdown with two-time world champ Jason Line. Enders-Stevens is looking for her first Gainesville victory, and the East Coast fans will get their first glimpse at the third Pro female world champion in NHRA history. Winternationals winner and four-time Gatornationals winner Line, Shane Gray, Greg Anderson, Vincent Nobile, and Jonathan Gray always provide tough competition in the parity-filled factory hot rod category.

As always, fans will have the opportunity to interact with their favorite drivers as they’re granted an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful motorsports attraction on the planet. While visiting the pits, interactive NHRA Nitro Alley and the NHRA Manufacturers Midway, fans will also want to check out NHRA’s popular Hot Rod Junction presented by the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum that offers a spectacular display of many nostalgic dragsters, race cars, and hot rods on display, including vintage machines that were driven by “Big Daddy” Don Garlits, K.S. Pittman, “Big John” Mazmanian, and Bruce Larson, among others. There will also be several NHRA Legends of Drag Racing autograph sessions, allowing fans the rare opportunity to meet drag racing stars of the past.

Fans of the numerous legends of NHRA Drag Racing will have the chance to meet their favorite drivers of NHRA history during the legends autograph sessions on both Friday and Saturday at 11 a.m. Members of the Top Eliminator Club will have their own special autograph session on Saturday.

On Sunday, fans also will want to take advantage of the popular Darrell Gwynn Track Walk with Top Fuel legend and Florida resident Darrell Gwynn at 9:45 a.m. Fans will be able to get “up close and personal” with Gwynn and other NHRA stars by walking with them on the famed track for a donation of $20 or more to the foundation. Money raised will support the Darrell Gwynn Foundation’s ongoing work to provide education about spinal cord injury prevention, offer support to those afflicted by spinal cord injuries and debilitating disease, and raise funds to help find a cure. The Darrell Gwynn Wheelchair Give Away will provide a wheelchair to a child with disabilities during the pre-race ceremony as well.

Fans are also urged to be in their seats for pre-race activities that include driver introductions, the singing of the national anthem by upcoming country singer Natalie Nicole Green, and that will culminate with the exciting visual of Jason Peters skydiving into the facility to deliver the American flag in spectacular fashion.

NHRA’s new campaign, “Baptism by Nitro,” will be making its first appearance in Gainesville in 2015. Inspired by the popular phrase “Baptism by Fire,” a commonly used phrase to describe when an individual is thrust into a new situation, experience, or environment, “Baptism by Nitro” is NHRA’s call to encourage longtime fans to bring a family member or friend who hasn’t yet experienced the heart-pounding atmosphere of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

Throughout the 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season, NHRA fans are encouraged to share first-time fan “Baptism by Nitro” experiences on social media. Prizes will be given away all year to the best nitro rookie reactions captured in the pits or in the grandstands and posted to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. All posts should include the hashtag #BaptismbyNitro and tag @NHRA.

Prior to the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, fans are encouraged to go online and nominate a nitro rookie and explain why their designated candidate deserves a VIP “Baptism by Nitro” experience. The winning entry will receive four tickets to the 2015 Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, VIP “Inside the Ropes” access for a nitro warm-up, and starting-line access, where each new fan will be truly baptized by nitro. Fans can log on to www.NHRA.com or visit NHRA’s Facebook page for their chance to win this VIP experience starting Feb. 24. An exciting visual preview of the campaign can be seen and shared at http://bit.ly/BBNitroVid.

Pro qualifying begins on Friday, March 13, with sessions at noon and 3 p.m. The final two qualifying sessions will take place Saturday, March 14, also at noon and 3 p.m. Final eliminations will begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday, March 15.

The 2015 Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals will also feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series as well as the season opener in the NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series.

To purchase general-admission or reserved seats, log on to www.NHRA.com/tickets or call the NHRA Ticket Sales Center, 800-884-NHRA (6472). General-admission tickets for children 12 and younger are free with any paid adult ticket. Fans can save by purchasing their tickets in advance.

]]>USD will sponsor Jim Dunn Racing again in Phoenixurn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72015-02-17T17:27:00Z

This year, USD is using this opportunity to introduce its customers to its new look and logo with bold artwork on the Dodge Funny Car.

“We are grateful to have the support of USD for another season. This is the third year we have partnered with this innovative auto parts solutions company,” said Jon Dunn, business manager for Jim Dunn Racing.

USD will welcome back the Jim Dunn Racing team to its corporate offices for a meet and greet with the team. This event gives employees the opportunity to get an up-close look at the nitro Funny Car and ask questions of crewmembers.

Jim Dunn Racing is coming off of a successful weekend of racing at the Circle K NHRA Winternationals in Pomona. New driver John Hale qualified at his first race with the team and drove the Moon Equipped/ALO Drink Funny Car to a quarterfinal finish.

The disappointment of the 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season still stings for Funny Car standout Jack Beckman. It is also a major reason why the 2012 Funny Car world champion appears so motivated and ready for 2015.

Beckman finished out of the top 10 for the first time in a full-time driving role, ending a streak of top-five finishes that dated back to 2007. Not ready to relive that frustration again, Beckman has retooled and reloaded for a championship chase in his 10,000-horsepower Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger R/T.

Famed crew chief Jimmy Prock will be calling the shots and Beckman has his sights aimed at building plenty of early-season momentum at the famed Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park during the 31st annual CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals, Feb. 20-22.

“I absolutely cannot wait,” Beckman said. “There are no guarantees. It’s 10,000-horsepower cars and anytime you pour nitro in the tank all bets are off. You just have to look at track records. Jimmy Prock has proven over decades that he will put the fastest car around his drivers and he will always get race wins and challenge for a championship.”

The top drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock will all head to Phoenix for the second of 24 races on the 2015 circuit. Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Alexis DeJoria (Funny Car) and Allen Johnson (Pro Stock) were last year’s winners of the event that will once again be televised nationally on ESPN2.

It’s an opportunity for Beckman to show what his team can do after a disappointing season-opening weekend in Pomona where the team failed to qualify after getting only three attempts. A late afternoon rain shower on Saturday wiped out the final qualifying session and any chance that Beckman had to make the 16-car field.

For the first time in 65 NHRA events and first since the sixth race of the 2012 season Beckman did not qualify for the elimination rounds at a Mello Yello Series event.

"Not qualifying is something that just isn't in the vocabulary of any of the Don Schumacher Racing nitro teams, a group that has amassed 240 race wins and 13 world championships including mine in 2012," Beckman said. "Throw in the fact that this is the opening race of the year, and at my home track, and you start to understand how devastating this could be."

Beckman said the rainy weather that moved into Southern California on Saturday was not to blame. He said he and his team will dust themselves off and head to Phoenix early for some testing so they can figure out the car and be ready to get things back on track at the CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals.

"I'm not going to wax philosophically, but here's the way I have to look at it: We had the same amount of attempts as every other car, and we certainly can't blame Mother Nature,” Beckman said. “It is what it is, and having a poor attitude about it certainly isn't going to change our situation. What a poor attitude can do is carry over into future performance, and I'm not going to let that happen."

His Pomona effort continued a theme that ran through much of 2014, although it was with a different crew chief at the helm. Beckman posted a final round appearance early in 2014 at Houston but never found any sort of rhythm or consistency. Instead, he said it seemingly felt like an episode of the “Twilight Zone,” as Beckman and his team continually suffered through one problem after another. The end result was missing the Countdown to the Championship, a tough pill to swallow in what was arguably the most frustrating season of Beckman’s standout career.

“It was extremely difficult,” Beckman said. “Up until the first round at Indy I would have bet a $1,000 that our car would have been in the Countdown and challenging for another top five spot. I know we had dug ourselves a pretty deep hole and made the path difficult, but I just knew we were overcome that. I don’t know what it was. We were snake bitten wherever we went.”

After winning the championship in 2012 by edging out teammate Ron Capps, Beckman finished third in 2013. Still, his winless streak dates back to 2012, a clear indication his talented team suffered through a number of maladies last season.

“If it was one thing maybe I would be more frustrated because maybe we should have fixed that one thing,” Beckman said. “But I’m not sure what we did wrong except our results were lousy.”

Beckman, who has 15 career victories, has posted three wins in Phoenix. But he’ll also face off against a talented field that includes DeJoria, who claimed her first career victory last year, reigning world champion and current points leader Matt Hagan, who won the season-opener at Pomona, and 16-time champ John Force, who has eight Phoenix wins. Three-time Phoenix winner Capps, who was runner-up at Pomona last weekend, two-time winner Del Worsham and Funny Car’s winningest female Courtney Force are also in the mix of pre-race favorites.

The addition of Prock, who has worked with the likes of Hight, Joe Amato, Cory McClenathan and John Force, also brings a certain amount of expectations for Beckman. That means an increased spotlight for Beckman as well, and he is embracing the challenge of performing at a high level in 2015.

“I know it’s no guarantee of anything, but I like the feeling that I absolutely need to be on my ‘A’ game because I’m going to be on the magnifying glass for a lot of folks,” Beckman said. “The last two guys he tuned for were John Force and Robert Hight. He tuned Joe Amato. He’s had some of the greatest drivers in the sport. We’re expected to be successful and I’m expected to help carry the ball on that end and I cannot wait.”.

Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying begins Friday, Feb. 20, with sessions at 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. The final two qualifying sessions will take place Saturday, Feb. 21, at 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 22.

The stars of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series will be focused on building early-season momentum as they make their annual trek from the season-opening event in Pomona in Southern California to the Valley of the Sun’s famed Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park for the 31st annual CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals, Feb. 20-22, the second of 24 races on the 2015 circuit.

Many thousands of fans are expected to attend the race during the weekend, and they have proven to have a serious addiction to the thrilling side-by-side 300-mph drag racing action that is produced at the multifaceted, 450-acre multipurpose motorsports facility just minutes east of downtown Phoenix. A new track surface last season led to some of the most exciting racing in NHRA history at the desert venue.

The best in Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock will try to tame Wild Hose Pass Motorsports Park in 2015. Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Alexis DeJoria (Funny Car), and Allen Johnson (Pro Stock) were last year’s winners of the event that will again be televised nationally on ESPN2.

One year ago, Brown raced his Matco Tools dragster to his first of six wins in the season, the most in the Top Fuel category. In the final round, Brown outpaced 2013 rookie of the year Brittany Force, who was appearing in her first Top Fuel final. This season, Brown, the 2012 Top Fuel world champion, will be looking for his fourth win in Arizona.

Force’s runner-up finish was her first of four final-round appearances, and she is poised to earn a breakthrough victory in 2015 and continue the pace set by NHRA female drivers in a record-breaking 2014 season.

Tony Schumacher

Alexis DeJoria

Allen Johnson

Reigning Top Fuel world champion Tony Schumacher has four wins at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, and he will be a major contender for a fifth at the controls of his U.S. Army dragster. Three-time winner Larry Dixon, 2001 winner Doug Kalitta, Spencer Massey, rookie of the year Richie Crampton, and second-place points finisher J.R. Todd figure to be in the running for a successful weekend at the CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals.

Shawn Langdon brings the points lead to Phoenix after racing to victory at the season opener in Pomona at the controls of his Knuckle Sandwich/AJPE dragster.

In Funny Car, DeJoria claimed her first career victory at this event last February, becoming the fourth female driver to win a Funny Car event. She claimed two more victories during the season – in Las Vegas and Indianapolis – and finished the season a career-high seventh in points. DeJoria is back at the controls of the 10,000-horsepower Patrón XO Café Toyota Camry and is looking to repeat at the site of her first triumph.

John Force is the winningest driver at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park with eight victories, but the NHRA icon hasn’t won there since 2005. Force, a 16-time world champion, hopes to distance himself from his rivals as he drives toward a 17th series championship title. Other major Funny Car competitors in Phoenix include reigning world champion and current series points leader Matt Hagan, who won in Pomona to kick off the season, three-time Phoenix winners Jack Beckman and Ron Capps, two-time winner Del Worsham, and Funny Car’s winningest woman, Courtney Force.

Allen Johnson made sure that his 2014 season got off to a quick start when he defeated V. Gaines to claim the Pro Stock win. Johnson, the 2012 world champion, earned four wins last season, finishing sixth in points. Phoenix has been the site of two of Johnson’s 24 victories, and he will be a favorite for a third win this year at the controls of his Magneti Marelli Dodge Dart.

Reigning Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders-Stevens won in Phoenix in 2013 and will be looking to open her championship defense in style with another win at the track. Jason Line, a two-time world champ and the 2012 Phoenix winner, is among the top challengers in Pro Stock and will bring the series lead to the desert after racing to the season-opening victory over rookie Drew Skillman in a thrilling Pomona final. Four-time world champ Greg Anderson, Gray Motorsports teammates Shane Gray and Jonathan Gray, and last season’s event runner-up, Gaines, will also challenge for the Phoenix win.

As always, fans will have the opportunity to interact with their favorite drivers as they’re granted an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. This unique opportunity in motorsports gives fans direct access to the teams, allowing them to see firsthand the highly skilled mechanics service their hot rods between rounds and enjoy cherished face time with and get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers.

Fans also will want to visit NHRA’s popular Nitro Alley and Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and race vendors create a carnival atmosphere with interactive displays, simulated competitions, merchandise, food, and fun for the entire family.

The event will also feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.

Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying begins Friday, Feb. 20, with sessions at 1:30 and 4 p.m. The final two qualifying sessions will take place Saturday, Feb. 21, at 1:30 and 4 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 22.

To purchase general-admission or reserved seats, call 800-884-NHRA (6472) or log on to NHRA.com/tickets.

The four-year-old program will kick off at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Auto-Plus Raceway at Gainesville in Gainesville, March 12-15, and the second event will take place at the Toyota NHRA Summernationals in Englishtown. The third race in the program will be at the birthplace of the event, the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis in Indianapolis, Labor Day weekend, Sept. 2-7, and the season will conclude at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Oct. 29-Nov. 1.

The competition includes entries from two Stock classes with each class running as a separate category within Stock Class Eliminations, and a winner being crowned in each.

The two winners will then square off for the NHRA Factory Stock Showdown championship using a staggered start. Each of the two class winners will receive the NHRA class Wally trophy with the runoff winner being crowned the NHRA Factory Stock Showdown champion.

Past winners of the NHRA Factory Stock Showdown were Chris Holbrook, David Barton, and Bo Butner.

]]>NHRA and U.S. Army celebrating 15 years as marketing partnersurn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72015-02-11T21:20:00Z

In 2015 the NHRA and the U.S. Army are celebrating their 15th year as marketing partners in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. The association continues to be one of the longest-running continuous sponsorships in all of motorsports.

As part of the marketing alliance, U.S. Army continues to be the presenting sponsor for the extremely successful NHRA Youth and Education Services (Y.E.S.) program, the first of its kind in motorsports that works to inspire and provide career guidance to thousands of high school students all across the United States.

In addition, U.S. Army also serves as the primary sponsor for Don Schumacher Racing’s U.S. Army Top Fuel dragster, driven by Tony Schumacher. Together, the team has celebrated eight world championship titles, the most recent one coming last year. The U.S. Army team has also won the prestigious Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis a record nine times.

“Off the race track, the U.S. Army’s involvement with the NHRA Youth and Education Services program has benefitted hundreds of thousands of students as they prepare to make their career decisions,” said Gary Darcy, NHRA senior vice president of sales and marketing. “On the race track, their support of the DSR Top Fuel program has resulted in some of the most dominating team performances in NHRA history.”

Through its involvement with the Y.E.S. program, the U.S. Army offers a variety of experiences for NHRA fans of all ages from the Army Strong Interactive Zone displays in Nitro Alley to its marquee series of special programs offered at the track and in high schools that focus on teaching area youth the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) to succeed in today and how STEM, leadership and the Army’s core values make the U.S. Army the most adaptable and versatile force in the world.

With the U.S. Army’s support, NHRA is able to provide more than 23,000 youth around the country the opportunity to participate in the Y.E.S. program each year.

“Our partnership with NHRA has proven to be a tremendous platform for tens of thousands of Americans to get to know America’s team – the U.S. Army,” said Mark S. Davis, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for marketing. “We look forward to supporting the elite Army racing team and celebrating another exciting drag racing season.”

The program allows participants the opportunity to learn about and explore various career opportunities while gaining a new perspective on STEM by taking what they acquire in the classroom and applying it to real world experiences. Students enjoy thought provoking presentations from business, racing and educational professionals, interactive vendors and a free race ticket.

While attending the Y.E.S. program presented by the U.S. Army at an NHRA Mello Yello Series event, students visit the interactive midway that includes booths set up by career- and education-focused partners. They also attend a short panel discussion that is headlined by Schumacher, a local Army hero and others from the NHRA community. Speakers encourage students to think about how the decisions they make today will affect their career opportunities later in life. When the panel discussion is complete the attendees are encouraged to stay and watch that day’s racing.

The 10-race J&A Service NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series will once again be televised on the Velocity Channel.

The series returns to action at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, March 12-15, at Auto-Plus Raceway at Gainesville, and concludes the season at the NHRA Toyota Nationals, Oct. 29-Nov. 1, at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Each race will air in a half-hour show on the Discovery Network-owned Velocity Channel. Velocity Channel features the best in automotive, sports, leisure and travel programming. The shows will be produced by Masters Entertainment Group and are scheduled to air during 10 consecutive weeks in the fourth quarter of 2015.

Highlights from the Gainesville event will air on Oct. 4 and each show will air in subsequent weeks. The shows will replay on MAVTV and the REV’N network and each show will air six times.

“The Series was well received by the network and we have planned more improvements in the series with more driver, crew chief, and car owner interviews this year,” said Ted Jones, executive producer of Masters Entertainment Group. “We sincerely appreciate NHRA selecting MEG to produce this series.”

Featuring the world’s fastest and most unique doorslammer race cars, highlighted by a variety of classic hot rods as well as late model cars, the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series offers something for every kind of hot-rodding enthusiast.

]]>NHRA welcomes Nl’Akapxm Eagle Motorplex back to Member Track Networkurn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72015-02-11T18:52:00Z

Nl’Akapxm Eagle Motorplex in Ashcroft, B.C., has rejoined the NHRA Member Track Network. Built in 1987, the multi-use motorsports facility will once again become a member of the Northwest Division.

The facility features a quarter-mile dragstrip, a 2.1-kilometer motocross track and a new ESSO full service travel station at the main entrance to the facility. Track officials also have plans to construct a new tower for the dragstrip this season.

The track will host a slate of NHRA Summit Racing Series and Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League events during the year, including seven double-header weekends that run from May through September.

“The track has had some great history with NHRA in the past,” said Sue McKay, track manager of Nl’Akapxm Eagle Motorplex. “We have a new start this year and we are really looking forward to adding to that history going forward.”

As an NHRA-sanctioned track, the facility will be eligible to offer racers a variety of NHRA racing opportunities, including the NHRA Summit Racing Series, the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League, NHRA Jr. Street and the NHRA Drags: Street Legal Style presented by AAA. Additionally, the track has the opportunity to host NHRA’s specialty events including the National DRAGSTER Challenge, NHRA Summit King of the Track, and NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League Challenge.

“Having another place to race in Western Canada is good news for drag racing in the Northwest,” said Matt Levonas, NHRA Pacific Division director. “We're thrilled to have the track back in the NHRA family.”

]]>Enders-Stevens named to AARWBA All-America Teamurn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72015-02-09T22:30:00Z

Erica Enders-Stevens, who last year became the first woman to win the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock title, was named to the 2014 American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association All-America Team. Since 1970, the AARWBA has selected the top motorsports performers for acknowledgement.

Enders-Stevens won her historic title on the strength of six national event wins and 19 top-three qualifying runs. She clinched the title at the 2014 Auto Club NHRA Finals when she defeated championship rival Jason Line in the final round.

Enders-Stevens is joined on the 2014 team by Will Power (Open Wheel), Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi (Road Racing), Donny Schatz (Short Track), Matt Crafton (Touring), Gabby Chaves (At Large), and Kevin Harvick (Stock Car). Harvick was also recognized as the Jerry Titus Memorial Trophy winner for the driver receiving the most overall votes.

Founded in 1955, AARWBA is a motorsports organization comprised of writers, broadcasters, photographers, and other media-related professionals. The organization's charter is aimed at providing not only proper recognition for members of the motorsports media but also to recognize their work as well as the work of the competitors that they follow in print, on the air, and on film.

Once again in 2015, NHRA’s loyal fans will be able to vote their favorite Pro Stock driver into the NHRA K&N Horsepower Challenge, a special bonus event for the factory hot rod class.

The K&N Horsepower Challenge will be held Saturday, April 11, during the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals weekend at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The lucrative event is open to eight drivers, seven of which will be determined by points earned at NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events. The eighth spot will be decided by the fan vote.

Erica Enders-Stevens is the defending champion of the K&N Horsepower Challenge. She defeated fan-vote winner and No. 8 seed Dave Connolly in a thrilling final round to claim her first non-points bonus event one year ago.

Fans can cast their vote at http://www.NHRA.com/knhpchallenge.aspx. The winner of the fan vote will go up against the other seven entries in a three-round shootout in Las Vegas. The champion of the K&N Horsepower Challenge race will win a $50,000 grand prize. The runner-up will receive $10,000 with $3,000 to the two semifinalists and $2,500 to the four first-round finishers.

Drivers began accumulating points from qualifying points starting at the 2014 SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas and continue through the 2015 Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, March 12-15.

The 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season kicks off Feb. 5-8 at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona with the 55th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals. For tickets for the Circle K NHRA Winternationals, call 800-884-NHRA (6472) or log on to www.NHRA.com/tickets.

Reigning Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan opened the 2015 NHRA season by racing to victory Sunday at the Circle K NHRA Winternationals at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel) and Jason Line (Pro Stock) also were winners at the first of 24 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events.

After overcoming a spectacular engine explosion during qualifying Friday, Hagan and his team rallied to qualify 12th Saturday. He then powered his Rocky Boots/Mopar Express Lane Dodge Charger R/T to four round-wins Sunday, including a winning final-round performance of 4.011 seconds at 320.89 mph to hold off his teammate Ron Capps at the finish line. Capps’ NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger R/T finished in 4.078 at 314.90.

Matt Hagan

With crew chief Dickie Venables making the necessary adjustments, Hagan said his confidence in his 10,000-horsepower race car never wavered after the incident.

“You try to put it out of your mind and not think about it,” Hagan said. “These [race cars] are animals out there, and you never know what you are going to get when you crawl in there to drive one. It’s always an experience. You have to respect it, but you can’t fear it.”

It was Hagan’s second straight Pomona win, fourth victory overall at this track, and his first Winternationals win. He raced past Tony Pedregon, John Hale, and Del Worsham in early rounds before beating Capps in the final.

“Pomona is very special to me, and it’s an historical track,” said Virginia cattle rancher Hagan of his 15th career victory. “The fans are awesome here. It’s been great. The history of this track and everything that’s happened here through the years, it puts it in perspective for me and makes [winning here] even more special.”

Shawn Langdon

Langdon scored the Top Fuel victory in dramatic fashion by edging rival Antron Brown's Matco Tools dragster at the finish line. The 2013 champ, who entered this race without a full-time sponsor but had support from Food Network star Guy Fieri during the weekend, powered his Knuckle Sandwich/AJPE dragster to a time of 3.799 at 309.91 to finish in front of Brown, whose machine stopped the clocks in 3.804 at 310.70.

It was Langdon’s second Winternationals win and the 10th victory of his career. The win gave the team much-needed momentum after its sponsor Al-Anabi Racing from the country of Qatar pulled funding from the team just weeks before the season opener.

“There are things that happen in life, and then there are moments when things just fall into place,” said Langdon, the event’s No. 1 qualifier, who posted the quickest time in category history with a 3.700-second run Saturday. He defeated Steve Chrisman, Leah Pritchett, and Spencer Massey in early eliminations rounds before racing past Brown in the final.

“We had a lot going on positively with Guy Fieri here this weekend,” Langdon continued. “We had to come out here and do well and make a statement. Now we’ll take what we did here and move on to Phoenix and continue what we are doing. We are still looking for sponsorship and trying to do the best we can.”

Jason Line

Line claimed his fourth Winternationals Pro Stock victory by outrunning rookie Drew Skillman in the final round. Line powered his Summit Racing Equipment Chevy Camaro to a winning performance of 6.545 at 211.83 while Skillman’s Ray Skillman Camaro trailed with a 6.556 at 211.13. It was Line’s 36th career victory and the 91st Pro Stock win for a Chevy Camaro, a record in the category.

"It's great to get off to a good start," Line said. "To be honest, I didn't expect to come here and do this well. I didn't think the off-season had gone well enough for us, but apparently it has. And it feels great to win.”

Line outran Joey Grose, Shane Gray, and Rodger Brogdon to advance to the final and meet longtime NHRA Sportsman racing standout Skillman, who advanced to his first final in his first Pro start.

"What a really exciting day,” Line said. “We have some new faces in the class, and congrats to Drew Skillman just for making the final at his first race; that's phenomenal."

(Above) The day kicked off with the SealMaster NHRA Track Walk, led by last year’s Mello Yello world champions, which allowed fans to walk the fabled Pomona racecourse. (Below) Meanwhile, action was hot and heavy in the pits, including a massive team meeting for the John Force Racing drivers and crewmembers.

NHRA Members Thomas Neff, Ken Thygesen, Scott Thomas, and their guests were the winners of National Dragster’s Backstage Pass program at the event. The lucky fans got to go backstage during the pre-race ceremony to meet the drivers. NHRA Members can sign up to try to earn a similar experience at future NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events by visiting NationalDragster.net and clicking on the Member Benefits link.

(Above) 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Funny Car world champ Matt Hagan collected his second championship ring during the pre-race ceremony. Hagan, along with fellow 2014 champs Tony Schumacher, Erica Enders-Stevens, and Andrew Hines, also were presented leather championship jackets. (Below) Courtney Force was acknowledged as the low qualifier in Funny Car after she posted her first career three-second pass.

(Above) Bob Bode pulled off the big upset of round one of Funny Car when he defeated 16-time champ John Force, whom he’d never beaten in almost a dozen tries, in a pedalfest. Ron Capps (below) moved into the second round on a holeshot over Alexis DeJoria, 4.13 to 4.11. Second-round pairings (lane choice first): Del Worsham vs. Courtney Force; Matt Hagan vs. John Hale; Tommy Johnson Jr. vs. Robert Hight; Capps vs. Bode.

Jeff Arend was in the hot seat for the second straight day as Steve Plueger’s machine lit up on him from a suspected fuel leak during his first-round race with Tommy Johnson Jr. Arend was not hurt.

(Above) Larry Morgan’s first race day with a Chevrolet Pro Stocker after years of campaigning a Ford is off to a good start with a first-round victory over Jimmy Alund; it was Morgan’s first round-win since this race last year, after which he went 0-22. (Below) Allen Johnson, the guy who lost to Morgan at this event last year – and did so on a holeshot – got one back this year by beating noted leaver Vincent Nobile on a 6.57 to 6.56 holeshot. Second-round pairings (lane choice first): Chris McGaha vs. Erica Enders-Stevens; Drew Skillman vs. Johnson; Jason Line vs. Shane Gray; Morgan vs. Rodger Brogdon.

(Above) No. 1 qualifier Shawn Langdon advanced the Knuckle Sandwich/AJPE dragster to the semifinals with his second straight 3.74-second pass. He still needs a run of at least 3.737 to back up the 3.700 he ran in qualifying if it’s to become the new national record. Larry Dixon (below) who ended teammate Dave Connolly’s Top Fuel debut in round one, beat Richie Crampton in round two to reach the final four. Langdon will have lane choice over Spencer Massey, and Antron Brown will pick his lane against Dixon.

Robert Hight (above) followed up his first-round 4.066 in Funny Car with a 4.085 in the second frame to defeat Tommy Johnson Jr.’s 4.080 on a holeshot. He’ll have semifinal lane choice over Ron Capps, who won his round with a 4.10.

Del Worsham (right) had low e.t. of the round with a 4.068 from the DHL Toyota and will have semifinal lane choice over Matt Hagan, who ran 4.12.

Pro Stock rookie Drew Skillman (above) is making the most of his debut, having reached the semifinals after beating Allen Johnson in round two. He’ll take on his Elite Performance teammate and mentor, Erica Enders-Stevens (below), who beat Chris McGaha on a holeshot, 6.569 to 6.565, to earn lane choice. The other semifinal will pit Jason Line, who has lane choice, against Rodger Brogdon.

Shawn Langdon (right) will have final-round lane choice over Antron Brown (above) in a battle between former Mello Yello Top Fuel world champions.

Langdon, still looking for a backup to his sizzling sub-national-record 3.700 qualifying pass, ran 3.762 to beat Spencer Massey, and Brown posted a 3.790 to beat Larry Dixon's 3.774 on a holeshot.

It will be an all-Don Schumacher Racing Funny Car final as defending world champ Matt Hagan (above) takes on Ron Capps (left).

Hagan, who qualified just No. 12, beat Del Worsham in the semifinals with a 4.068 and will get his choice of lanes in the final; Capps ran 4.134 in his victory.

Pro Stock rookie Drew Skillman (above) will try to become the first driver since Larry Lombardo in 1974 to win in his Pro Stock debut. The Elite Performance driver beat teammate and world champ Erica Enders-Stevens on a holeshot in the semifinals, 6.59 to 6.57.

Jason Line (right), last year's Winternationals winner -- and winner of three of the last six season openers -- will try to stop Skillman and will have lane choice after beating Rodger Brogdon in their semifinal match, a race in which both ran 6.560.

Jason Line, near lane, defended his Circle K NHRA Winternationals title from 2014 by taking out Joey Grose, Shane Gray, Rodger Brogdon, and rookie Drew Skillman en route to the winner's circle. He also posted low e.t. of every round, including his 6.545-second pass in the final, earning him his 36th career win in Pro Stock.

Matt Hagan, far lane, began his title defense in strong fashion, outlasting Ron Capps to win his first Winternationals title. Hagan clocked low e.t. of race day, 4.011, to finish ahead of Capps, who clocked a 4.078.

Shawn Langdon, near lane, made it three straight season-opening victories for Alan Johnson Racing with a 3.799 to 3.804 victory over Antron Brown in the Top Fuel final.

Shawn Langdon raced to the quickest Top Fuel time in NHRA history to take the top qualifying position in a rain-shortened day of racing Saturday at the Circle K NHRA Winternationals. The final round of qualifying was cancelled due to rain.

Courtney Force (Funny Car) and Erica Enders-Stevens (Pro Stock) also will lead their categories into Sunday’s 11 a.m. eliminations at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

Langdon set the track record for time with a performance of 3.700 seconds at 328.30 mph in the Knuckle Sandwich/AJPE dragster. Langdon’s time is in position to be certified as a national record if he can post another time within 1 percent of his third session run -- a time of 3.737 or quicker. This is the 17th time in his career that he has secured the No. 1 qualifier, and he will open eliminations against Steve Chrisman.

Shawn Langdon

Courtney Force

Erica Enders-Stevens

“It was just a picture-perfect run,” Langdon said. “It left, had the front end up, it was accelerating hard, and it just pulled all the way until I shut it off. I went through the finish line, and I thought I got a glimpse of the 3.70 on the scoreboard but wasn’t really sure. On a 100-degree day on the track, I really wasn’t even thinking about a 3.70. It wasn’t really until I turned the corner and saw everyone hooting and hollering that I was like, ‘Ah, I guess I did see that.’ ”

Richie Crampton raced his GEICO/Lucas Oil dragster into the second qualifying spot with a performance of 3.730 at 328.46. Doug Kalitta, who led qualifying through the first two rounds with a 3.733 at 327.59 in his Mac Tools dragster, will enter race day as the third qualifier.

Force set a career-best time in the third session, posting a 3.995 effort at 322.65. It was Force’s first official run quicker than four seconds and the eighth time she has raced to the No. 1 qualifying position. Force, the No. 1 qualifier at the season-opening event in 2013, faces Gary Densham in the first round.

“It was flying down there,” Force said of her Traxxas Chevy Camaro SS Funny Car. “That sand trap was coming up quick. It was just a great run for us, especially because we’re trying to come out here on a high note because we’ve got new sponsors onboard. It was awesome flying down there. I knew it was a fast run. Honestly, I didn’t know how fast. I could only tell by the expression on my team’s face, and that’s how I knew it was a good one.”

Tommy Johnson Jr., who led Funny Car qualifying after Friday’s sessions, will enter race day as the No. 2 qualifier with his run of 4.018 at 314.36 in the Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger R/T. John Force drove the Peak Camaro SS into the third starting spot with a 4.021 at 320.28.

Enders-Stevens, the 2014 Pro Stock world champion, reconciled a disappointing first day of qualifying by taking the lead in the third session Saturday. Her 6.516 sprint at 213.10 at the controls of her Elite Motorsports Chevy Camaro moved her to the top of the leaderboard for Sunday’s eliminations. On Friday, Enders-Stevens did not complete a full pass in either of her first two qualifying attempts as she struggled to keep traction.

"This hasn't been the best start for us, even though we [finished as the low qualifier]," said Enders-Stevens, who will face Matt Hartford in round one of eliminations. "I was very surprised nobody went around us earlier today. ... I wish that we would have gotten this last run in. We wanted to try some things, but [that will have to wait until] tomorrow. ... Going into Sunday with only one [full] run under your belt, it's a little nerve-racking, but I know if anybody can do it, we can do it. I have the best guys in the world, and I'm excited to see what tomorrow brings."

Three-time Circle K NHRA Winternationals winner Jason Line drove his Summit Racing Equipment Chevy Camaro to a second-place starting spot with a 6.523 at 212.93. Houston’s Rodger Brogdon will start third in his RoofTec Chevy Camaro with a qualifying best of 6.524 at 212.33.

Sportsman racers are back in action Saturday with eliminations under way. (Above) Jeff Jerome moved his Los Angeles-based A/SA '63 Savoy into the third round of Stock with a big win in the morning round. (Below) Michael Iacono is driving Dan Fletcher's Peak Camaro in Super Stock this weekend.

The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California hosted its annual Night of Champions Friday and drew a strong crowd. (Below) From right, Erica Enders-Stevens, J.R. Todd, Tommy Johnson Jr., Larry Dixon, and Jack Beckman took part in the panel discussion.

The pits at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona are jammed with fans at the 2015 season opener, eager to check out the new cars and interact with the drivers. (Below) Antron Brown fueled up his Matco Top Fueler in anticipation of today's final two qualifying sessions to set the field for Sunday's final eliminations.

Mark Trostle, head of SRT, Viper and Mopar Design and the man who led the charge in the development and design of the new 2015 Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car, is getting his #BaptismByNitro at his first drag race. Dickie Venables, crew chief for Funny Car world champ Matt Hagan, got him into the business seat of their Mopar Charger before the day’s first qualifying session.

Only at the NHRA races can you get up close and personal with the star drivers. Here's Gumout Top Fuel driver Leah Pritchett and some of her many fans, old and young.

Detailed coverage and features from the Circle K NHRA Winternationals can be found on NationalDragster.net. The site is open to all users throughout the event.

Reigning NHRA Mello Yello Pro Stock champ Erica Enders-Stevens (above) entered the day not qualified but took little time rectifying that situation as she raced her Elite Motorsports Camaro to the No. 1 spot with a 6.516 at 213,10, top speed of the meet. European Pro Stock champ and 2014 NHRA Four-Wide Nationals winner Jimmy Alund (below), driving one of the KB Racing team’s older GXPs, is qualified No. 11 after three sessions with a 6.543.

Shawn Langdon (above) was the star of a historic Top Fuel qualifying session, running 3.700, the quickest pass in history, to push the Knuckle Sandwich/AJPE entry into the No. 1 spot. Auto Club Raceway at Pomona is now home to four of the five quickest Top Fuel passes in history. The old best was the national-record-setting 3.701 by Antron Brown at the 2012 event in Reading. Langdon needs to run 3.737 to back up his pass and break Brown’s national record. Spencer Massey (below) meanwhile went 332.18 mph, tying his own national record and the second-fastest speed ever; only Langdon’s 334.15 (also from Reading 2012) is faster.

Courtney Force (above) recorded her first career three-second pass, a 3.995, with the Traxxas Camaro SS to take over the No. 1 spot; her previous best was a 4.005. Tony Pedregon (below), who has had some truly forgettable moments in Pomona riding out fires and other calamities, put a good memory in the bank with a career-best 4.030 (previous 4.041) that moved his Mark Christopher Auto Center Toyota into the No. 3 spot.

Jeff Arend found himself in the hot seat in Q3 with this blaze in Steve Plueger's entry. He was not injured.

Kris and Stephanie Moore took part in the first official NHRA Baptism by Nitro to welcome Stephanie to her first NHRA race. As part of the new program, lucky first-time fans get to stand on a stage between two nitro-burning race cars to watch a pass. For more on the program, click here.

Around 3:15 p.m., a rain shower brought action to a halt, much to the consternation of Chief Starter Mark Lyle. The NHRA Safety Safari presented by AAA dried the track numerous times, but the rain persisted, forcing NHRA officials to call an end to the day's racing two hours later.

More event photo galleries]]>Kalitta, Johnson, Line lead Winternationals fieldsurn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72015-02-07T01:39:00Z

Doug Kalitta raced to the qualifying lead in Top Fuel during Friday qualifying at the 55th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals.

Tommy Johnson Jr. (Funny Car) and Jason Line (Pro Stock) also were qualifying leaders at the season opener of the 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing season.

Kalitta posted a 3.733-second pass at 327.59 mph in his Mac Tools dragster during the final pair of the day at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. In the first round of qualifying, Kalitta ran a 3.809-second run at 323.12 mph, which put him in the No. 2 spot after round one.

“We’re real happy with those two runs,” Kalitta said. “I’m not sure with the weather; I think it might be a little cooler tomorrow. There’s just a lot of good-running cars that can run better than we did. So, hopefully I’m here again tomorrow talking to you guys. We’ll see how it goes.”

Doug Kalitta

Tommy Johnson Jr.

Jason Line

Kalitta was the No. 1 qualifier at this event last year and finished the race as runner-up. He earned six No. 1 qualifying positions in 2014 and appeared in nine final rounds en route to a fifth-place points finish.

Reigning world champion Tony Schumacher qualified second in his U.S. Army dragster with a performance of 3.757 at 320.20. Spencer Massey qualified third with a 3.761 at 328.30 at the controls of his Red Fuel dragster.

In Funny Car, Johnson recorded a 4.018-second, 314.46-mph performance in his Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger, earning him the top qualifying position. Johnson posted a career-best third-place points finish last season in his first season driving for Don Schumacher Racing.

“The team has just picked up right where we left off and gives me a lot of confidence,” Johnson said. “I know we have a very competitive team. We can roll it right off of the box at Pomona and pick up right where we left off. I think we’re on the right track to have a great season.”

Chad Head powered his TaylorMade AeroBurner Toyota Camry to a second-place effort with a 4.060 at 309.63. John Force, the winningest driver in NHRA history, took third in his Peak Chevy Camaro with a 4.061 at 313.66.

Reigning Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan qualified eighth Friday with a 4.090 at 310.70 in the first round. His second pass ended in spectacular fashion halfway down the track when the engine on his Mopar Dodge Charger caught fire. He escaped from the car without injury.

Line, a three-time winner of the Winternationals and series runner-up last year, took the qualifying lead in Pro Stock with a 6.523-second run at 212.76 mph in his Summit Racing Equipment Chevy Camaro.

“It was a good run,” Line said. “It was a nice run. I know I usually whine and say it wasn’t perfect, but it was a nice run. It’s nice to be up here, and I’m pretty happy about that. It’s fun to start day one of the 2015 Mello Yello Drag Racing season this way.”

Pro Stock newcomer Drew Skillman was the second qualifier after his Ray Skillman Chevy Camaro sped to a 6.527 at 212.09. Greg Anderson sits third with a 6.535 at 211.99 in his Summit Racing Equipment Chevy Camaro.

Erica Enders-Stevens, reigning Pro Stock world champion, failed to make a full qualifying pass during the first two sessions as her Elite Motorsports Chevy Camaro lost traction on both attempts.

Detailed coverage and features from the Circle K NHRA Winternationals can be found on NationalDragster.net. The site is open to all users throughout the event.

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]]>NHRA creates award program as incentive for nitro teams to eliminate oildownsurn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72015-02-06T23:47:00ZNHRA has announced an incentive program that will reward individual Top Fuel and Funny Car teams who make it through the 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season without an oildown.

A bonus fund of $50,000 will be divided among the top 10 nitro race teams with the greatest number of oil-free runs at season’s end without an oildown.

In 2014, 27 nitro teams out of a total of 74 raced all season without an oil violation. John Force had the most oil-free runs in Funny Car with 160 and Shawn Langdon made the most Top Fuel oil-free runs with 154.

Last week NHRA announced increased fines and points penalties for Top Fuel and Funny Car teams who deposit oil on the racetrack surface during NHRA Mello Yello Series events. An oildown violation is defined as any incident requiring the use of NHRA Safety Safari equipment to cleanup an oil spill.

]]>Chandler extends support to Infinite Hero Foundation for DSR and driver Beckmanurn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72015-02-06T23:30:00Z

Don Schumacher Racing hosted a press conference at the Circle K NHRA Winternationals to announce that the Infinite Hero Foundation would be represented on the side of DSR's Jack Beckman-driven Funny Car for all 24 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events this season, thanks to complete funding by Terry Chandler (above). (Below) From left, DSR's Megan Schumacher and Mike Lewis, former Staff Sergeant Jon Warren, Infinite Hero Executive Director Laurie Baker, and Beckman also spoke at the conference.

The Infinite Hero Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing critical funding to programs that combat mental and physical injuries facing returning military heroes and their families, has announced the expansion of a unique partnership with Terry Chandler and Don Schumacher Racing for the 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season with driver Jack Beckman.

Through funding from Chandler, who also again will fund DSR's Make-A-Wish Funny Car team at DSR for driver Tommy Johnson Jr., the Infinite Hero (InfiniteHero.org) awareness program will expand from six events last year to the entire 24-race 2015 season with DSR.

Beckman, a two-time NHRA world champion living in Southern California, was ecstatic at the end of the past year when he learned Chandler would fund his DSR team for the entire upcoming season, and that his crew chief would be Jimmy Prock with John Medlen serving as the assistant on the 2015 Dodge Charger R/T.

Chandler, who lives in New Mexico, joined with her brother, Johnny Gray, to fund the DSR Funny Car he drove in 2013 that honored their late father, John R. Gray. When Johnny retired from full-time professional drag racing, she decided to continue with DSR to help provide awareness to special causes.

"Through the many years of my brother being involved with NHRA and me loving the sport too I wanted to give back to some deserving people who mean so much to me: children and our military heroes and their families," Chandler said.

"Through both the Make-A-Wish and Infinite Hero teams last season, I was able to meet so many inspirational people being served by both organizations. To be able to fund both teams to raise awareness and support for these causes means the world to me. It brings so much joy to my life and I hope it inspires others to help too."

After Chandler decided to return this year to back the Make-A-Wish Funny Car team, she generously added Beckman's team to her fold.

Through Chandler's support of the Infinite Hero and Make-A-Wish teams, there is no cost to either foundation to run the cars, enabling all of the funds raised at the track to be used toward their charitable purposes.

Last year, fans had the opportunity to support the Infinite Hero cause and receive a military challenge coin that had gone down the track with Jack. This year, a new edition of the coin will be available for purchase with a donation of $100 or more to Infinite Hero Foundation at the Oakley store on event midways during NHRA races and online at InfiniteHero.org.

Beckman will be available at races to sign and record the track time for coins after each run.

"The Infinite Hero program honors us by letting us help their wonderful foundation," DSR owner Don Schumacher said. "Helping the Infinite Hero program is what makes being involved in NHRA drag racing even more special. We hope to raise a lot more money and awareness to help Infinite Hero help the brave men and women of our military who sacrificed so much for us."

"The unique partnership with Terry Chandler and Don Schumacher Racing to run the car for six races in 2014, and all of the fans and sponsors who stepped up last season raised more than $150,000 for the foundation," said Infinite Hero Foundation President and Oakley CEO, Colin Baden, who added the foundation has donated nearly $2 million to 10 different veteran service organizations.

"We are honored to continue the partnership for 2015 and couldn't ask for a better spokesperson than Jack Beckman."

Beckman, who enlisted at 17 in the Air Force and served four years, is steadfast in his support of U.S. military personnel and has regularly visited Veterans Hospitals since becoming a professional racer in 2005. He was presented with the U.S. Air Force Wall of Achievers honor in Enlisted Heritage Hall at Gunter Annex of Maxwell Air Force Base in May 2013 joining other enlisted men and women who have contributed to the growth and development of the U.S. Air Force.

"I'm such a huge believer in the Infinite Hero program," said Beckman, who won the 2012 NHRA Funny Car world championship for DSR and the NHRA Super Comp world championship in 2003. "I was sold on the Foundation when I first heard about it. It's more than a feel-good-thing, it's empowering ... helping our veterans get back to a new normal."

The Circle K NHRA Winternationals kicks off the 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season and always features extra work in tech inspection, including the "chamber of horrors," NHRA's tools for ensuring that all bodies, especially in Funny Car and Pro Stock, conform to specifications.

Chad Head has a new sponsor for the event, TaylorMade Golf and its AeroBurner brand of drivers. He gave the club a thorough tryout on the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona starting line Thursday.

John Force Racing celebrated its new affiliation with Chevrolet with an appearance and autograph session at local car dealer Mark Christopher Chevrolet in Ontario. Several Force race cars were on display.

A celebration of life for Hall of Fame driver and crew chief Dale Armstrong was held Thursday night at the track with an impressive turnout of past and present drivers, crew chiefs, and friends.

Among those who spoke were baseball legend and hot rodder Reggie Jackson (left), Don Prudhomme (right), and Kenny Bernstein (below), with whom Armstrong enjoyed much of his success.

NHRA's Youth & Education Services presented by the U.S. Army welcomed area high schoolers to its biannual Pomona presentation, held at the NHRA Motorsports Museum. U.S. Army Top Fuel drivers Tony Schumacher (above) and Antron Brown (below) were among those who spoke.

A large and diverse collection of vintage racing iron is on display in the Hot Rod Junction in the pits.

Sparkling Ice Vice President of Sales Chris Hall joined driver Leah Pritchett, center, and team owner Connie Dote to announce that Sparkling Ice will support the Dote Racing Top Fuel dragster and Pritchett throughout the 2015 NHRA Drag Racing season and as primary sponsor on the car at Maple Grove Raceway in October. [Story]

(Above) Rodger Brogdon is the surprise No. 1 qualifier after the opening session of Pro Stock, putting his RoofTec Camaro in the top spot with a 6.538; Chris McGaha ran the same e.t. but at a slower speed for the No. 2 spot. (Below) National-event-winning Super Stock and Stock racer Drew Skillman made his first official lap in a Pro Stocker and netted a fine 6.559 with his Elite-powered Camaro, good for the No. 7 spot after one run.

(Above) Chad Head’s new TaylorMade AeroBurner Toyota grabbed the No. 1 qualifying spot in Funny Car with a straight drive to a 4.060, just a thousandth of a second ahead of defending event champ John Force. (Below) John Hale, making his debut in the Jim Dunn entry, clocked a 4.44 in the retro-look Mooneyes entry.

(Above) Showing no ill effects of losing its primary backer, the Alan Johnson Racing entry, with Shawn Langdon at the wheel, is the No. 1 qualifier after the first Top Fuel session with a 3.803. (Below) Doug Kalitta, runner-up at this event last year, is right behind him with a 3.809.

Detailed coverage and features from the Circle K NHRA Winternationals can be found on NationalDragster.net. The site is open to all users throughout the event.

At a press conference between Pro qualifying sessions, Don Schumacher Racing announced that the Infinite Hero Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing critical funding to programs that combat mental and physical injuries facing returning military heroes and their families, would be represented on the side of DSR's Jack Beckman-driven Funny Car for all 24 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events this season, thanks to complete funding by Terry Chandler (left). [Story]

Warren is a combat-wounded veteran who benefited from the Infinite Hero care and now works with the organization.

Top Fuel Harleys are an exciting addition to this year's Winternationals. After one session, defending national champ Tommy Grimes leads the field with a 6.35 at 216.20 mph.

The KB/Summit Racing Pro Stock team has won seven of the last nine Winternationals, and Jason Line (above), the defending champ and winner of three of the last six season openers, is No. 1 after Friday qualifying with a 6.523. His teammate, Greg Anderson (below), is third with a 6.535, with the duo sandwiching class rookie Drew Skillman's impressive 6.527.

(Above) Tommy Johnson Jr.’s new-look Make-A-Wish Charger Funny Car took over the No. 1 qualifying spot with a 4.018, bumping Chad Head’s 4.060 to No. 2. John Force (below), in his new Peak Camaro SS, is No. 3 after a 4.061; he lost a 4.08 on his second run when he center-punched the finish-line lights, damaging the front spoiler.

Doug Kalitta (above) scorched the Pomona racetrack with a 3.733 to hold the No. 1 spot in Top Fuel heading into Saturday. Reigning Mello Yello world champ Tony Schumacher (below) is No. 2 with a 3.751.

Sparkling Ice Vice President of Sales Chris Hall joined Leah Pritchett and Connie Dote for the announcement at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

Sparkling Ice, part of the Talking Rain Beverage Company portfolio, has announced its support of Dote Racing Top Fuel dragster and driver Leah Pritchett. Sparkling Ice will be featured as an associate sponsor throughout the 2015 NHRA Drag Racing season and as primary sponsor on the car at Maple Grove Raceway in October.

Additionally, Sparkling Ice and Pritchett will collaborate on custom Sparkling Ice driver and crew uniforms as well as promotional items such as co-branded apparel, autographed merchandise and tickets. Sparkling Ice, the fastest-growing beverage brand in the U.S., will also support Pritchett and the Dote Racing team with Sparkling Ice beverages throughout the 2015 season.

“We are thrilled to announce Sparkling Ice’s support of Dote Racing and Leah Pritchett. The team’s philosophy aligns with Sparkling Ice’s bold spirit and adventurous nature, making this relationship a natural fit,” said Talking Rain President and CEO Kevin Klock.

Pritchett finished the 2014 season on a strong note. At the Toyota Nationals in Las Vegas, she ran a career best 3.775 elapsed time at 319.29 mph, placing her in the #6 qualifying spot and positioning her for the semifinals.

Pritchett began drag racing at 8 years-old, winning 37 events in her Jr. Dragster. She went on to race Nostalgia Funny Car, winning one event and setting a record as the first driver to break 250 mph in that class. Her success continued in Pro Mod, where she won three national events.

In addition to her accomplishments on the track, Pritchett is involved in various charitable endeavors including Girls Nite In International, Bowling for Reilly’s Children’s Hospital and Speedway Children’s Charity.

]]>Winternationals coverage on NationalDragster.neturn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72015-02-06T18:55:00ZRed Line will sponsor Kalitta/Todd at Winternationalsurn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72015-02-06T17:38:00Z

Red Line Synthetic Oil will be the primary sponsor of the Kalitta Motorsports Top Fuel dragster and driver J.R. Todd in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series at the Circle K NHRA Winternationals and at select events throughout the season.

“Red Line’s closest relationship in racing is with the Kalitta organization,” said Red Line president Cameron Evans,. “The opportunity to work even closer with the team came about and we welcomed the opportunity to brand the car. We feel that JR Todd is one of NHRA’s best drivers and to brand the car that Connie Kalitta personally runs is great fun for our customers and employees. We think the fans will love the new livery.”

“We’ve been proud to represent Red Line Oil for close to 15 years,” said Jim Oberhofer, Vice President of Operations at Kalitta Motorsports. “They’ve been one of our most supportive associates through those years and we’re excited to grow the relationship by running the primary colors of Red Line. Connie and JR are ready to get out there and give the fans a good show with the Red Line Oil dragster.”

J.R. Todd, driver of the Red Line Oil dragster added, “I am excited about our new look with Red Line Oil car and look forward to representing Red Line with some great results at the Winternationals. We’re ready to get the season started and we’re thrilled to start the year off with such a great team. We can’t thank Cameron Evans and the entire Red Line family enough for the opportunity.”

Red Line sponsored the Connie Kalitta-tuned Top Fuel car for multiple races in the 2006 NHRA season and has been an associate sponsor of the Kalitta race cars since 2001.

Jason Line was one final-round victory from winning his third NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock world championship in 2014. Returning to historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona for this weekend’s Circle K NHRA Winternationals might serve as an easy reminder as to how close Line was before falling to Erica Enders-Stevens in the last round of the Auto Club NHRA Finals at the same track.

But Line doesn’t see any reason to look back and is instead focused on only the road ahead in the 2015 NHRA Pro Stock season. With three Winternationals victories to his credit, including one a season ago, this weekend also marks the perfect opportunity to start the quest for redemption in style in his Summit Racing Equipment Chevy Camaro.

“I don’t dwell on the past,” Line said. “If you do that, you’re probably going to trip and fall. I would be lying if I said I don’t think about it, but I try not to do it too much. I’m trying to get better so I don’t repeat the same thing, which means trying to go forward. If not, you’re not going to have a lot of longevity in this sport. You constantly have to be analyzing and dissecting your own performance in order to get better.”

Khalid alBalooshi (Top Fuel) and John Force (Funny Car) joined Line as winners last year of the race that will again be televised nationally on ESPN2.

Returning to the scene of the heartbreaking defeat to Enders-Stevens may not appear to be the most ideal scenario, but Line is concentrating solely on the 2015 season. That meant finding more power for his Camaro in the off-season and continuing to work on the talents that have made him one of the top stars in the Pro Stock class for more than a decade.

Several of those accomplishments came last year when Line entered the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship in first place. Following the Winternationals victory to start the year, Line won three straight races late in the regular season, also performing well in the Countdown.

He advanced to three final rounds, including the deciding one in Pomona. Line came up short there, which has him motivated for improvement. But consistent progress has always been part of his mindset, as evidenced by finishing in the top three in points each of the last four seasons and five of the last six.

“We’re just moving forward, trying to make more horsepower and get better,” Line said. “We’ve got a great team, and I’m looking forward to what we can accomplish. We’re always thinking about where we can improve and get better, and that’s a continual process on this team.”

Enders-Stevens claimed her first world championship last year with her victory over Line and will be looking to add to her 12 career victories in Pomona. But Line will offer a stiff challenge, as will class stalwarts Allen Johnson, Shane Gray, Jonathan Gray, Vincent Nobile, Greg Anderson, and Chris McGaha.

After missing the first five races of last season due to off-season heart surgery, Anderson is back for the full 2015 campaign. That’s welcome news for Line, who knows that having his Summit Racing Equipment teammate back for the full season will only help the team.

Both will look to perform at a high level in Pomona, which has always been a thrilling venue for Line when it comes to opening the NHRA season.

“The thing I like best about Pomona is the fact fans have great energy,” Line said. “That’s always nice to see, and it reminds you that this is fun, and racing is fun. I want to do the best job I possibly can for the people I represent, and we’re excited to get the season started. I’m always excited for Pomona and to see what we can do.”

The star-studded Top Fuel class is led by reigning world champion Tony Schumacher, who claimed his eighth world championship in 2014. Former world champions Antron Brown, Larry Dixon, and Shawn Langdon as well as top challengers J.R. Todd, Spencer Massey, Doug Kalitta, class newcomer Dave Connolly, and 2014 NHRA rookie of the year Richie Crampton will aim to prevent a ninth world title for Schumacher. Last season’s Top Fuel winner of this event, alBalooshi, is reportedly planning a return to NHRA Pro Mod competition, where he is a past season champion.

In Funny Car, Virginia cattle rancher Matt Hagan claimed his second world championship at the season-ending race last season, dethroning 16-time world champion John Force in Pomona. Hagan, who won his first championship in 2011, will try to thwart a list of perennial stars in the loaded class, including John Force, Courtney Force, Ron Capps, Jack Beckman, Cruz Pedregon, Tommy Johnson Jr., Alexis DeJoria, Del Worsham, and Tim Wilkerson.

As always, fans will have the opportunity to interact with their favorite drivers as they’re granted an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. This unique opportunity in motorsports gives fans direct access to the teams, allowing them to see firsthand the highly skilled mechanics service their hot rods between rounds and enjoy cherished face time with and get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers.

Fans also will want to visit NHRA’s popular Nitro Alley and Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and race vendors create a carnival atmosphere with interactive displays, simulated competitions, merchandise, food, and fun for the entire family.

The event will also feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.

Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying begins Friday, Feb. 6, with sessions at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. The final two qualifying sessions will take place Saturday, Feb. 7, at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 8.

To purchase general-admission or reserved seats, call 800-884-NHRA (6472) or log on to NHRA.com/tickets.

Off the track, legendary Funny Car driver John Force has stayed busy over the last several months, changing car manufacturers, shuffling his team roster and adding a flurry of new sponsors heading into the 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.

On the track, where Force really thrives, the 16-time world champion continues to be just as successful. He battled reigning Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan down to the wire a season ago, finishing second in points after a thrilling duel at Pomona.

A chaotic off-season ended on a strong note with an impressive test session in Phoenix, leaving Force primed for another go at a world championship. That journey starts with this weekend’s Circle K NHRA Winternationals at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, and the reigning event winner Force promises to be ready in his 10,000-horsepower Peak Chevrolet Camaro SS.

“Driving is what I really do,” Force said. “When I got to testing everybody said my personality changed, because you get back into what you really love, and that's driving a race car on the NHRA circuit. I can't wait to get to the Winternationals. I'm excited because driving that car is what I'm good at it. Retiring is not an option to me. I love what I do. The car is what I do, and I'm ready to drag race.”

Khalid alBalooshi (Top Fuel) and Jason Line (Pro Stock) joined Force as winner’s last year of the race that will once again be televised nationally on ESPN2.

Force is certainly no stranger to victories at Pomona, winning 16 times overall and eight times at the Winternationals. To keep that stellar mark going, Force will have to deal with a loaded Funny Car class that starts with Hagan, who showed extreme poise throughout the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship.

The duel and brewing rivalry between Force and Hagan seemed to bring out the best in both, as Hagan won three races and advanced to four final rounds in the Countdown to the Championship. Force advanced to three final rounds during the six-race playoffs, but lost to Hagan in two of those outings.

That matchup figures to be one to watch during 2015, but Force also knows he can’t concentrate on just one driver in a deep and talented Funny Car field.

“I'm ready, but Hagan will tell you, if he focused on me and I’m focused on him, well then Cruz Pedregon or Robert Hight or Courtney or Ron Capps is going to go around us,” Force said. “So what do we do? We take them a day at a time. Robert Hight wants a championship as much as I do, and he knows how to do it.

“Courtney, she's ready. She's got a race car and she knows how to drive it. But there's a lot of other kids out there that are overdue. Ron Capps has got a great team. Any day his could happen and it would be well deserved. We'll be back in the hunt. It's exciting times to watch this. I'm ready to rock and roll.”

Top competition seems to bring out the best in Force but so seemingly does a non-stop mindset off the track. Force and his John Force Racing team worked tirelessly to add new sponsors throughout the end of 2014 and into 2015, and that energy has had a strong effect on the entire team, which includes Hight, Courtney Force and Top Fuel driver Brittany Force.

All had strong showings at their test session in Phoenix and John Force hopes that carries over to memorable performances from his entire team in Pomona.

“We'll have to see what we can do at Pomona,” Force said. “Testing was good. We’re a little overworked, but it's starting to come together with a lot of good friends helping. Mike Neff heads our charge. He's my new Austin Coil. He runs everything. But (crew chief) Jon Schaffer proved he could get the job done. (It’s a) young team, kind of an old guy over here, but it's a balance and we work great together.”

That should continue to pay dividends as Force continues to adjust to the new Camaro. On the good side, it also gives Force reason to believe the car will run well when all of the kinks are ironed out.

“That (doesn’t) mean we're going to run out and win a championship right off the bat, but we'll be a contender, I'll give you my word on that,” Force said.

The star-studded Top Fuel class is led by reigning world champion Tony Schumacher, who claimed his eighth world championship in 2014. Former world champions Antron Brown, Larry Dixon and Shawn Langdon as well as top challengers J.R. Todd, Spencer Massey, Doug Kalitta, class newcomer Dave Connolly and 2014 NHRA rookie of the year Richie Crampton will aim to prevent a ninth world title for Schumacher.

In Pro Stock, Erica Enders-Stevens reigned supreme in one of the most exciting championship battles ever, defeating Jason Line in a winner-take-all final side-by-side race of the year to claim her first world championship. Enders-Stevens, who became the first female Pro Stock world champion, will be looking to add to her 12 career victories but will face stiff challenges from the likes of Line, Allen Johnson, Shane Gray, Greg Anderson, Jonathan Gray and Vincent Nobile.

As always, fans will have the opportunity to interact with their favorite drivers as they’re granted an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. This unique opportunity in motorsports gives fans direct access to the teams, allowing them to see firsthand the highly-skilled mechanics service their hot rods between rounds, and enjoy some cherished face time and get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers.

Fans also will want to visit NHRA’s popular Nitro Alley and Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and race vendors create a carnival atmosphere, with interactive displays, simulated competitions, merchandise, food and fun for the entire family.

The event will also feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.

Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying begins Friday, Feb. 6, with sessions at 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. The final two qualifying sessions will take place Saturday, Feb. 7, at 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 8.

]]>Winternationals Team Reportsurn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72015-02-04T09:42:00ZNHRA welcomes El Paso Motorplex to the NHRA Member Track Networkurn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72015-02-04T01:30:00Z

El Paso Motorplex is joining the NHRA Member Track Network. Built in 2008, El Paso Motorplex will become a member of the NHRA South Central Division. The track is located on the western edge of the South Central Division borders of Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico. The facility will host several new and exciting NHRA programs for 2015 and beyond.

“The El Paso Motorplex racers are the big winners by the track switching to the NHRA Member Track family,” said Trey Capps, NHRA South Central Division director. “With the extensive list of programs offered to the NHRA Member Tracks, it only adds more prestige to the events for the racers.”

As an NHRA-sanctioned track, the facility will be eligible to offer racers a variety of NHRA racing opportunities, including the NHRA Summit Racing Series, the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League, NHRA Jr. Street and the NHRA Drags: Street Legal Style presented by AAA. Additionally, the track has the opportunity to host NHRA’s specialty events including the National DRAGSTER Challenge, NHRA Summit King of the Track, and NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League Challenge.

“El Paso Motorplex is proud to become one of NHRA’s newest tracks,” said Jay Byrum, El Paso Motorplex general manager. “We believe the NHRA will help expand racing for the racer and spectators in El Paso and the Southwest.”

El Paso Motorplex is an all-concrete quarter-mile drag racing facility. With scheduled eighth-mile and quarter-mile events there is something for every fan and racer. In addition to having a quarter-mile of concrete for drag racing events, El Paso Motorplex also is home to the area’s best Sand Drags Drag Racing facility. With a seating capacity of more than 2500 for spectators, there is not a bad seat in the house. The facility boasts a new restroom and full service concessions stand building as well. El Paso Motorplex is one of the most fan and family friendly venues in the Southwest.

Explains Dunn, "For the first race of the season I decided to go with the top three finishers in each category from last season. Because I use a three-race formula, why not use the six-race Countdown formula and the 18- race formula leading into it? Let's face it, the top three from last year are all exceptional teams.

"The one exception will be Pro Stock. Dave Connolly finished third but will be moving to Top Fuel. He’ll be one to watch for the whole season. He is one of the best "natural" drivers and with Bob Vandergriff stepping up the resources and talent surrounding the team to contend at the top level, I expect some big things from Connolly."

TOP FUEL

Rank

Driver

Plus/minus

1.

Tony Schumacher

---

2.

J.R. Todd

---

3.

Spencer Massey

---

Mike's notes: Brittany Force is my one to watch. With an unofficial quickest run ever of 3.69 it would seem that she is starting the season with her best car ever.

FUNNY CAR

Rank

Driver

Plus/minus

1.

Matt Hagan

---

2.

John Force

---

3.

Tommy Johnson Jr.

---

Mike's notes: Del Worsham will be one to watch in Funny Car. He had a very good car at the end of the season and the crew had great chemistry which are the two main ingredients you need for a winning combination.

PRO STOCK

Rank

Driver

Plus/minus

1.

Erica Enders-Stevens

---

2.

Jason Line

---

3.

Shane Gray

---

Mike's notes: I will be keeping an eye on Larry Morgan. He has a new Camaro with Gray horsepower under the hood, so without a doubt he has the potential to be the most improved driver in any category this year. Go Larry!

TaylorMade Golf, the company that delivers distance through speed, will sponsor the Head Inc. Toyota Funny Car team for the running of the 55th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Feb. 5-8.

The sponsorship will reinforce the recent introduction of the company’s newest metalwood, the AeroBurner driver, which like the sport of NHRA, delivers straight speed performance in the fastest, most aerodynamic driver in company history.

“We are excited about the opportunity to showcase the TaylorMade AeroBurner on our Toyota Funny Car and can’t think of a better parallel between the AeroBurner product attributes and the sport of NHRA,” said driver Chad Head. “This is a great chance for TaylorMade to introduce AeroBurner to the NHRA fan base both in Pomona and on the ESPN2 broadcast.”

For golfers, the state-of-the-art AeroBurner driver features an advanced aerodynamic shape designed with a rounder toe, raised center crown, and new hosel fin to deliver maximum distance, and its new and improved Speed Pocket increases the size of the sweet spot and reduces spin.

“We are excited to be partnering with Head Racing as part of the release of the new AeroBurner driver,” said Nick Robbie, director of marketing at TaylorMade Golf. “We want golfers to know that the AeroBurner driver delivers unparalleled speed that leads to substantial distance. The AeroBurner Funny Car will be a thundering example that reinforces Made of Speed.”

As part of the sponsorship for the weekend, Head Racing will make an appearance at TaylorMade’s headquarters in Carlsbad, Calif., to unveil the car design for the company’s employees and invited media guests.

]]>Todd looking forward to full season of racingurn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72015-02-02T17:50:00Z

NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Top Fuel standout J.R. Todd finished his 2014 season by racing in Pomona. He will start the 2015 season back at the historic drag racing venue in Southern California with the Circle K NHRA Winternationals, Feb. 5-8, at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

For a driver who jumped into an ideal role with Kalitta Motorsports a year ago and will spend 2015 driving full time for the first time since 2008, that is a big deal. Todd is well aware of that, which has him as excited to start this season as any in his career.

“Competing in all 24 events is something that I have been looking forward to for a very long time now,” said Todd, who finished second in Top Fuel in 2014 despite missing the first two events of the season. “There was definitely a period where I wasn't sure if I would ever get a shot at competing full time again. Now that I have the opportunity, I feel like I need to do everything possible to make myself a better driver and prove that I deserve to be out there competing with the best in our sport.”

Khalid alBalooshi (Top Fuel), John Force (Funny Car), and Jason Line (Pro Stock) were last year’s winners of the NHRA’s annual season-opening race that will once again be televised nationally on ESPN2.

Todd also has the added incentive of carrying over his hot finish from a year ago into the 2015 season. He was named driver of Kalitta Motorsports team’s second Top Fuel dragster at the fourth race a season ago and took full advantage of the opportunity.

He won in Denver — Todd’s first victory since 2008 — and despite the later start qualified for the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship. Todd appeared even more comfortable in the seat of the 10,000-horsepower Red Line Oil/Kalitta Air Top Fuel dragster in crunch time.

He posted two final-round appearances in the NHRA’s six-race playoffs, finishing only behind reigning world champion Tony Schumacher. To call the season a success, especially considering Todd didn’t even expect to be driving on a regular basis, would be a massive understatement.

“I feel confident that our team can be a threat to win every week with the way we finished the season,” Todd said. “I still have improvements to make inside the car, and I think that when me and the car are on the same page, that we can have a lot of success this season. Hopefully we can carry the momentum we had in the Countdown on into the 2015 season.”

Everything appears to be lining up that way. The four-car Kalitta Motorsports team, which includes veteran Top Fuel standout Doug Kalitta, remains intact and with the same strong personnel it had a year ago. While Todd had to learn and adjust on the fly in 2014, doing so in impressive fashion, that comfort level should be greatly increased in 2015.

“I am so proud to be a part of this Kalitta Motorsports group,” Todd said. “All four teams ran extremely well last year, and there is no reason that all four will not improve on our 2014 results. Each team has every crewmember coming back for 2015, which says a lot for how great of a place it is to work at Kalitta Motorsports.”

Getting to start the season racing at the historic Circle K NHRA Winternationals in Pomona should give Todd an added boost as well. He will face an ultra-talented field that includes the likes of Schumacher, Kalitta, former world champions Shawn Langdon, Larry Dixon, and Antron Brown, as well top challengers Spencer Massey, 2014 NHRA rookie of the year Richie Crampton, and class newcomer Dave Connolly.

But Todd is excited for the challenge. His win in Denver last year marked the seventh of his career, and he is ready to add to that collection in 2015.

“Anytime you get to race Pomona it's exciting,” said Todd, who also posted three No. 1 qualifiers in 2014. “The Winternationals is one of my favorite races, and I cannot wait to kick off the season there. To win there definitely sets the tone for the season. Everybody gets excited for that event to see all of the new looks, and for us here in the Midwest, it's nice to see some sunshine and warm weather.”

In Funny Car, Virginia cattle rancher Matt Hagan claimed his second world championship at the season-ending race last season, dethroning 16-time world champion John Force in Pomona. Hagan, who won his first championship in 2011, will try to thwart off a list of perennial stars in the loaded class, including John Force, Courtney Force, Ron Capps, Jack Beckman, Cruz Pedregon, Tommy Johnson Jr., Alexis DeJoria, Del Worsham, and Tim Wilkerson.

In Pro Stock, Erica Enders-Stevens reigned supreme in one of the most exciting championship battles ever, defeating Jason Line in a winner-take-all final side-by-side race of the year to claim her first world championship. Enders-Stevens, who became the first female Pro Stock world champion, will be looking to add to her 12 career victories but will face stiff challenges from the likes of Line, Allen Johnson, Shane Gray, Greg Anderson, Jonathan Gray, and Vincent Nobile.

As always, fans will have the opportunity to interact with their favorite drivers as they’re granted an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. This unique opportunity in motorsports gives fans direct access to the teams, allowing them to see firsthand the highly-skilled mechanics service their hot rods between rounds, and enjoy some cherished face time and get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers.

Fans also will want to visit NHRA’s popular Nitro Alley and Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and race vendors create a carnival atmosphere, with interactive displays, simulated competitions, merchandise, food, and fun for the entire family.

The event will also feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.

NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying begins Friday, Feb. 6, with sessions at 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. The final two qualifying sessions will take place Saturday, Feb. 7, at 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 8.

The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, NHRA’s popular Sportsman level racing series, will be featured in 16 one-hour shows on ESPN2HD in 2015.

The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series coverage from select national events will air on ESPN2HD on a tape-delay basis as part of NHRA’s relationship with ESPN, in its second decade as the exclusive home of NHRA drag racing. All 16 telecasts will air on Saturday or Sunday. The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series has a long-standing tradition of serving as a highly competitive developmental arena for the future stars of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

Returning as anchor of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series telecasts will be long-time NHRA announcer Dave Rieff. Rieff has been involved for many years with NHRA coverage on ESPN and ESPN2HD. The color analyst role for the shows will be filled by Alan Reinhart whose announcing career spans more than two decades. Reinhart has been the lead public address announcer of Lucas Oil Series racing at national events and brings extensive knowledge of the series and its competitors.

The popular NHRA Sportsman Spotlight segments, focusing on NHRA’s Member Track network and sportsman racing programs, will be showcased as part of the race-coverage telecasts once again in 2015. Lewis Bloom, currently involved in the NHRA Mello Yello telecasts on ESPN and best known as the “Stat Guy,” will split duties with Reinhart, as they return for their third year with these segments. They will visit the member tracks and share their reports with viewers during the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series telecasts on ESPN2.

2015 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Television Schedule

Event

Air Date, Time

Circle K NHRA Winternationals, Pomona

Sunday, Feb. 15; 11 a.m.-Noon

Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, Gainesville, Fla.

Sat. March 28; 10-11 a.m.

NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, Charlotte, N.C.

Sun. April 5; 11 a.m.-Noon

SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals, Las Vegas

Sun. April 19; Noon.-1 p.m.

O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA SpringNationals, Houston

Sun. May 3; 11 a.m.-Noon

NHRA Kansas Nationals, Topeka, Kan.

Sun. May 31; 11 a.m.-Noon

Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, Norwalk, Ohio

Sun. July 12; 1-2 p.m.

NHRA Route 66 Nationals, Chicago, Ill.

Sun. July 19; 2-3 p.m.

NHRA Northwest Nationals, Seattle, Wash.

Sat. Aug. 15; 10-11 a.m.

Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, Brainerd, Minn.

Sun. Aug. 30; Noon-1p.m.

Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, Indianapolis

Sun. Sept. 13; 7-8 a.m.

NHRA Carolina Nationals, Charlotte, N.C.

Sat. Sept. 26; 7:30-8:30 a.m.

NHRA Keystone Nationals , Reading, Pa.

Sun. Oct. 11; 6-7 p.m.

AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals, Dallas

Sat. Oct. 24; 7-8 a.m.

NHRA Toyota Nationals, Las Vegas

Sun. Nov. 8; 1-2 p.m.

Auto Club NHRA Finals, Pomona

Sun. Nov. 22; 11:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m.

* All times Eastern. Schedule is subject to change. Please check local listings

Erica Enders-Stevens put together a history-making 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season, finishing off her banner year by becoming the first female Pro Stock champion in NHRA history.

With the season-opening Circle K NHRA Winternationals approaching at historic Auto Club Raceway, Feb. 5-8 at Pomona, it might be hard for Enders-Stevens not to look back and re-live all of the magical moments that made up her thrilling 2014 championship season.

But it also serves as motivation as she enters the first race of her Pro Stock career with the “No. 1” on the side of her Elite Motorsports Chevy Camaro.

"We're the defending world champions, and it's a pretty awesome place to be,” Stevens said. “I guess it really hasn't completely sunk in because some days it'll just cross my mind, and I can't believe it. It's pretty cool. I've never been in that situation before, and we're really excited and honored to carry the No. 1 this year. It'll be a memorable year, and we're going to go to Pomona and give it our all and hopefully carry No. 1 into 2016 also. That's everyone's goal."

Khalid alBalooshi (Top Fuel), John Force (Funny Car) and Jason Line (Pro Stock) were last year’s winners of the race that will once again be televised nationally on ESPN2.

For Enders-Stevens, she returns to the scene of where the Pro Stock championship was decided in unbelievable fashion. With the world title on the line in the final round of the Auto Club NHRA Finals in Pomona, Enders-Stevens defeated Jason Line to cap off the most impressive season of her career.

It was the sixth win of her 2014 season and all of the emotions of that exciting final round will surely come back to Enders-Stevens when she arrives back in Pomona. But as a productive off-season proved, she will have no problem getting back to work.

"I haven't gotten unfocused,” Stevens said. “What we accomplished last year doesn't change anything ever. It's a great accomplishment and really cool, but you can go from hero to zero really quick, week-in and week-out. I learned that a long time ago. We've got our work cut out for us, and we're going to swing for the fences just like we did last year.”

That method couldn’t have worked any better when Enders-Stevens stayed atop the points standings for most of the season in a loaded Pro Stock class. She claimed six No. 1 qualifiers and won four times during the regular season.

But Enders-Stevens, who now has 12 career wins with all of them coming in the last three seasons, showed championship moxie in the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship. She won the final two events of the season, posting clutch performances in Las Vegas and Pomona. As impressive as Enders-Stevens was, she also credited her hard-working team, which is led by crew chiefs Rick Jones and Rickie Jones.

"It's a very unique environment here just because of the people who are involved,” Enders-Stevens said. “It's the same core group this year, and we added two-time world champ [crew chief] Mark Ingersoll to our program, and it's going to be great."

Enders-Stevens will again face massive challenges in the Pro Stock class coming from the likes of Allen Johnson, Shane Gray, Jonathan Gray, Vincent Nobile, Greg Anderson and Line. But major challenges are nothing new for Enders-Stevens, who is embracing the latest one heading into the 2015 season.

"We know the target is on our back, for sure, but to be honest, it's been on our back,” Stevens said. “I don't know if anything's changed. Last year, we had a very dominant car, and when some people would race us, they'd swing for the fences – both performance-wise and from the driver's seat.

The star-studded Top Fuel class is led by reigning world champion Tony Schumacher, who claimed his eighth world championship in 2014. Former world champions Antron Brown, Larry Dixon and Shawn Langdon as well as top challengers J.R. Todd, Spencer Massey, Doug Kalitta, class newcomer Dave Connolly and 2014 NHRA rookie of the year Richie Crampton will aim to prevent a ninth world title for Schumacher. Last season’s Top Fuel winner, alBalooshi, is reportedly planning a return to NHRA Pro Mod competition, where he is a past world champion.

In Funny Car, Virginia cattle rancher Matt Hagan claimed his second world championship at the season-ending race last season, dethroning 16-time world champion John Force in Pomona. Hagan, who won his first championship in 2011, will try to thwart off a list of perennial stars in the loaded class, including John Force, Courtney Force, Ron Capps, Jack Beckman, Cruz Pedregon, Tommy Johnson Jr., Alexis DeJoria, Del Worsham and Tim Wilkerson.

As always, fans will have the opportunity to interact with their favorite drivers as they’re granted an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. This unique opportunity in motorsports gives fans direct access to the teams, allowing them to see firsthand the highly-skilled mechanics service their hot rods between rounds, and enjoy some cherished face time and get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers.

Fans also will want to visit NHRA’s popular Nitro Alley and Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and race vendors create a carnival atmosphere, with interactive displays, simulated competitions, merchandise, food and fun for the entire family.

Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying begins Friday, Feb. 6, with sessions at 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. The final two qualifying sessions will take place Saturday, Feb. 7, at 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 8.

The event will also feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.

With the 2015 season-opening Circle K NHRA Winternationals just a week away, Tony Schumacher, the eight-time and defending NHRA Mello Yello Top Fuel world champion, took part in a national teleconference to talk about the season ahead.

Q: Tony talk about the upcoming season. When you have that No. 1 on the side of your car, everybody is looking to knock you down a peg when you pull into Pomona. Does that give you and your team a little added step as you head into the opening event?

Schumacher: You know, I wish I could say yes, honestly, but I can't remember the last time I didn't try, you know? I think about that all the time. I go, oh, man, they're going to be really gunning for us, and then I go, wait a minute, they're always gunning for us. We had the No. 7 on our car last year and the quickest runs in the history of last season were against me, and it didn't have the No. 1 on the side of the car. I think that Army car is so cool, people love racing it. It's just awesome. It's a great car and great team that's been successful and done a lot over the years, so it's always a target. That's the way it is. I'm glad to be the driver. I'm glad to sit in the seat. I enjoy it mostly because I like to know that the guy racing me finds it worthy to try hard, and it's cool. I think we're just proud to have the No. 1 on the car, not that we've got to try harder or do this or do that, but we're happy that the year ended like it did, and grateful for the same guys returning back and doing the same jobs, and we're getting better and stronger every day.

Q: Talk a little bit about the required intensity it takes to win the championship, one championship, and let alone come back and have the intensity to win eight.

Schumacher: You know, I sit in the car a lot of times and think, why do I do this; this is so intense. Before a big run that you have to be really great at, sometimes you sit in the car and you just think, this is nuts. This is just so much pressure. And what I'm so happy to be able to do is look back on all the times that it's been so difficult and how we've pulled it off. It makes it so much easier to get through those moments, because there was a time where it was deer in the headlights. It was so big, you thought, there's no way. And then you win a few of those and your team pulls off these miracles, and you start to believe. Some of you guys actually joke about it. I believe in stuff that doesn't seem possible. Well, I do. The funny thing is I've kind of lived a lot of those moments that have made it easy to believe. That run in '06 that was physically impossible. I'm not sure we even knew what was we thought, oh, well, there's a snowball's chance, but really? Are we really going to be able to do this? And then you pull it off and you start to think, wow, this is absolutely possible. World records are broken all the time because it's never been done before. I like those moments. I think, and I've said this in many, many press conferences. If you want to see me get beat, come to a race where it's not important because we drop our guard a little bit, and that happens. But we're good when it's important. We're good when it's a must, and that's just how our team is.

Q: Do you think you could ever be able to teach all that to anyone?

Schumacher: Well, first of all, I don't want to because then they beat me. I think I've taught a couple people too much already. It's just the way it is. I'm one of those dumb guys where people always say, I taught him everything he knows but not everything I know. I don't stop at that, I kind of teach them, and then I think to myself and how our team has always been, we race; you know everything I know and now we race.

Q: How did testing in South Florida go for your Army team?

Schumacher: It went like it always goes. I probably knocked out eight fillings, I shook six runs. I'm happy as can be because, and there's always that because, that track is so good that if you can get the car down that racetrack, you're going to Pomona to smoke the tires. There's no other cars there. It's not prepared by NHRA. It's just super tight. You've got to be so aggressive to get the car to move that when you get to the next race, no matter where it is, you don't stand a chance using that tune up. I'm fine with it. Great new car. It's a beautiful car. We know we can go to Pomona and run fast. We know we can go down the racetrack. We know how to do it. We have the combinations. And when we show up to test, we actually show up to test, stuff that we've never had before, way off, distant stuff that we're going to use later in the year. It's fine. We have the parts and the pieces at least when I was a runner up in Pomona, we know how to do that, so we'll go fast at the beginning of the year, and we also know that winning the first 10 races doesn't win you the championship, so we've got a long year of getting stuff together for the end of the year because it's how the rules are set up, it's how we're supposed to do it, we're supposed to win at the end, but being in the correct position to do that, you don't want to be coming in 10th. Yes, Robert Hight did it, but it's such a longshot. You want to be in those top couple and really hit it hard in the Countdown.

Q: NHRA just introduced “Baptism by Nitro,” their new campaign, encouraging fans to bring new fans. If you were going to show leadership with the sport as the winningest driver in the history of Top Fuel, the most champions, what would you do or bring to the table? What can you do to help us all elevate this thing?

Schumacher: I think it's just personal attention. Like we can blow it up in the media, and we do. We do our best. But you've got to be at the ropes and you've got to be telling people to bring it, and you've got to be out there a lot, because it is the greatest sport in the world.

I am the perfect person to ask. I have asked generals, or esteemed generals be asked to come out, and they get the typical, oh, man, but it's a drag race. They picture James Dean, a pack of cigarettes and a cool car, and they don't picture what it is, and they get out for the first time, and it's an oh, my. That is insane. I saw that on Facebook. That's exactly what that post is, man. Get people out that have never been there. It is our most difficult thing because we don't have the marketing dollars NASCAR has to go out and do all the ad campaigns to get people out, so it's up to the drivers. It's up to the teams to really push. And when we're in the neighborhood like I do, I get in early, I get into Pomona on Tuesday, I'll get in on Tuesday, we won't run until Friday, and I'll spend Wednesday doing media, I'll spend Thursday doing media, and those days are critical, but everyone doesn't do that. We need to expand that. We need to get the people out there beating the ground, man. You've got to get people to come out the first time. Very, very, very seldom, I don't even hear it, almost never do you hear someone say that was the greatest day of my life, I'm never coming back. They all love it. The generals that come out for the first time, when they're done, they go, I never expected it to be simply amazing. I just pictured something different and never expected it to be this big, never expected them to be that fast, this professional, and so great for kids.

It's a great kids' sport. Kids come out and they're in awe of not the car going fast; that's always a no brainer, but to watch the men work on the cars and women. These guys do such a great job that these young kids are so impressionable get to watch this thing and go, you mean, I can do something great like that? It gives them a little hope. Right now they're in school, they're just working hard and they don't understand goals yet. Their goals are small and they're simple. Let them see that these people are doing simply miraculous things as a team. I think the more kids we bring out, the quicker it spreads.

Q: What was your reaction when you got the news about the Al-Anabi team in terms of its effect on just sort of the Top Fuel ranks, and also have you had a chance to talk to Alan (Johnson, team manager) about what happened?

Schumacher: I have not talked to Alan, and honestly I was bummed. I liked having (Khalid al) Balooshi and Langdon out there, and I hope they still come and I hope the team finds something else. But you just hate that late notice. I've been there before. I've been there when you find out something last minute is changing. It's terrible. It's not good for the sport. Not only do we need more cars, but we can't in any way afford to lose any of them, and not the caliber of crew that those guys are. Alan Johnson is an outstanding crew chief with great drivers, and they had the money capable of going out and running against great teams. I was bummed. It made for a great battle. It was many championships racing each other, and I thought it was a spectacular way for fans to get to see just a monumental battle. I hope they find something soon and get it worked out and get out there soon.

Q: Dave Connolly is making his transition to Top Fuel. How difficult is that task going to be for him? He's taking a very humble approach it seems, and maybe that's the best way to go, huh?

Schumacher: It's the only way to go. Once you get in those cars you could be you can think you're the coolest guy in the world. They start up the cars and all that goes out the window, and the funny thing is he does have a great leader. He's got Larry Dixon and Bob Vandergriff as a team owner who's made so many laps, but when the car starts and they step away, you are 100 percent alone, and that's the humbling part. There's no one that can help you. My first car I started a Top Fuel car, I was in Denver, Colorado, and after they started it I looked around, I'm sitting in this car buckled in, and there wasn't one guy that's ever driven a car around me. I could see the crew chief leaning forward and it looked like he gave me a thumbs up and said good luck, but you can't hear, and you're thinking to yourself, oh, my, this is insane, because you are going to hit the gas and go over 100 miles an hour in under one second, and there's no way to practice it. I think he's a great driver. I think Vandergriff made an excellent choice, but it's going to take him time to get used to a Top Fuel car, the difference in staging. There's so much that's different. But he understands how to race. He's got the perfect attitude, and he's a good athlete. All those things are going to play right into it, and he'll go out and make some laps and he'll get used to it and become a great driver like everyone expects. That's why Bob put him in the car.

Q: As a follow up, you very likely could tie or pass Bob Glidden on the all-time win list this year. I'm just wondering how numbers conscious you are of things of that nature where you stand on the all-time list.

Schumacher: I honestly had no idea until I heard you guys announce it. And it is not my goal. My goal is to go out and win as many races as I can every year each and every time. At the end of my career I'll look back on the wins and I'll appreciate the sacrifice that we all made to get those wins and be proud of those moments. Things were different when Bob Glidden raced. It was different. There were different amounts of races per year. So comparing apples to apples is really impossible. People try to do that with ‘Big Daddy’ Don Garlits, too, in Indy wins. It's a difficult thing to relate. Drivers are drivers. Now, back then they drove, worked on cars. It was so different. For me to sit back and try to compare myself to anyone, I'll let you guys do that. That's your job as the media. You can compare. You can make up those things and I'll read them, but I honestly at the end of my career I hope I have 500 wins. Right now I'm just trying to get No. 78, I think.

Q: You won your championship with the regular points system, like whoever gets the most at the end of the season wins. You've done it in the Countdown now, and now with NHRA making it one and a half points for the U.S. Nationals, I just wanted to see what was your reaction to that points change.

Schumacher: I was asked that yesterday for the first time. Indy is supposed to be bigger. It's the big go. It's supposed to be the biggest race. It has more money, more people show up to win it, and it should come with more points. I think most people always felt that. Just to have it as just another race never made sense. Being an important race for so many cars that can come in and change the position they go into the Countdown, I think it's really cool. I almost wish it was double points. I've won it enough times where it would have always helped me.

But take that out and still, for everybody, because we're going into a race now where it's we haven't even started to qualify yet. All things being even I still wish it was a lot more points. I think it makes the sport bigger, makes it more important and starts to do what it needs to do at Indy.

Q: Are you a fan of the Countdown system then like when they brought that in? Do you think that that has accomplished what was hoped for?

Schumacher: I go back and forth on it, honestly. The last year before the Countdown we won the championship by setting a world record on the last run of the year. If they could do that every year, they'd be sold out shows. The Countdown was really put in effect to keep people watching at the end of the year when most of the time by Reading, Pennsylvania, someone had the championship locked up in the old way and people didn't even need to see it. Is it doing what it's supposed to do? I haven't seen the numbers, but I would assume it's probably a good call, if not NASCAR would have backed out of it a long time ago, and I think NHRA has got a job to do. They've got to look at each way and maybe they can fine tune it, and I don't know better ways, but they've got a marketing department and they can come up with ideas that are great, and we look and we listen, and if we can evolve it even more and listen to ideas and make it better, that's what we're going to do.

We are entertainment. That's what it is. We show up and we have to win and it's our job, but we're entertainment. We're competing with a lot of other companies doing the same thing, and we just have to make it better for the fans in any way we can. Better for the fans, more exciting for them at the end of the year when it's important. At the end of the day we have to sell commercials, TV slots. It's what we do. Let's keep it going. Now, if they reverted back, or my crew chief brought it up last year and I thought it was fantastic, he said, you know, once you get into the Countdown, when you qualify you're the No. 1 pick, you get to walk up and choose who you race. There's other ideas out there that are floating out there. I thought that was great. You walk up, if I'm No. 1 going into the last race and the No. 6 guy is Kalitta and he needs to beat me to be the champ he can walk up if he's the qualifier and choose me. There's ideas. That being said, it's going to make it so confusing for the fan who walks up to understand who's racing who. You wouldn't know until Sunday morning. But we'll just keep working on it, man.

Q: In light of the Al Anabi situation, you guys have had a tremendous relationship with the Army. There's been other teams in motorsport that have been cut back by the military. Are you guys pretty set with the Army? What's your future with the Army?

Schumacher: I think it's fantastic. To be sitting here right now with the Army on the side of the car after all the controversy in the past few years especially is spectacular. It just goes to show how successful this Army program is, and it's not just because we go out and win. It is a recruiting tool. It's what we do. And when the controversy comes up, we can lay the numbers out that says, look, this is NHRA. Every fan has a pit pass. Here's the numbers we provide. Nothing in the history for recruiting has ever been this successful, and it tends to quiet those situations down. You know, we've lasted a long, long time, and it's because we work extra hard to do it. We go above and beyond. We do what the Army does. We go above and beyond. We do what we have to do to make sure the program succeeds. I'm glad to represent people like your son and his fellow soldiers. It's a great accomplishment and it's a great, long partnership that we've had.

Q: All the generals that you've had there in your pits, what have been some of the most notable remarks they've made because you said they're pretty they get there thinking one thing and leave with a whole different idea.

Schumacher: General Q is the vice chief of staff. His first race was in Reading, Pennsylvania. I had just crashed in Memphis and had a couple fractured ribs, a sprained knee, and in Reading he was at the finish line, the car shook in the final round, I pedaled it, beat Jim Head, it was still a quarter mile, no parachutes, buried it in the sand trap. I don't know how many negative Gs, but it was more than enough, my chest was hurting, I climbed out of the car, and he comes running through the beaches down there in the sand trap, and he is a big man, six foot whatever big, and grabbed me, picked me up and was throwing me around, I have never seen anything like that in my life. It was absolutely spectacular. Squeezed me like a rag doll, almost broke my other ribs, but just awesome moments where you get these guys and they're like a kid in a candy store. They're seeing massive power. The Army car, man. These are guys who get it. They understand the power, the sacrifice, the work, the blood, sweat and tears, and to see them with a smile on their face, knowing how much work they have to do the next day. These are generals. They're running our country and they're defending lots and lots of lives and doing what they have to do. To give them a little relief for a few minutes and hear their excitement is spectacular.

Q: Super Bowl: Seattle or New England?

Schumacher: New England and only because of my son. He loves the Patriots, and that's just the way it is. He's a Packers fan, but he can convert when the Packers get beat. I've got to go with my kids, man. I'm gone way too much to oppose them when I'm home.

]]>NHRA bolsters oildown policy for 2015 Mello Yello Series seasonurn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72015-01-28T22:09:00ZRecognizing the need to reduce the number of oildowns at NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events that cause substantial time delays and negatively affect the entertainment value for fans and TV viewers, the NHRA has increased the monetary fines and points penalties associated with oildowns in the Top Fuel and Funny Car categories. Oildown penalties for all other classes will remain the same as they were in 2014.

Each Top Fuel and Funny Car team will be fined $1,000 and receive a five-point deduction following its first oildown violation of the season. A second infraction will result in a $2,000 fine and a 10-point deduction. The third violation will bring a $4,000 fine and loss of 15 points.

Monetary fines and point deductions continue to increase on a scale for each additional oildown violation. The 10th violation will result in an $18,000 fine and a 50-point penalty.

“We offer race teams considerable input on how to avoid oildowns,” said Graham Light, NHRA’s senior vice president of racing operations. “But the responsibility still lies with the team. In 2014, oildowns contributed to significant delays over the course of each race weekend. As we increase the number of live TV broadcasts, we have to make sure that our events stay on schedule.”

Monetary fines will be in effect at all 24 events but points penalties will be waived during the six-race NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship.

“Fines are utilized for equipment purchases, personnel training, new technology and support of the NHRA Safety Safari,” Light said.

2015 NHRA Oildown Violation Penalties for Top Fuel and Funny Car

Violation

Fine

Points

First

$1,000

-5

Second

$2,000

-10

Third

$4,000

-15

Fourth

$6,000

-20

Fifth

$8,000

-25

Sixth

$10,000

-30

Seventh

$12,000

-35

Eighth

$14,000

-40

Ninth

$16,000

-45

10th

$18,000

-50

]]>‘Mopar Road Ready’ program set to launch in 2015 to help teen driversurn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72015-01-28T17:14:00Z

Mopar has set plans in motion to give a helping hand to young drivers across the United States with an advanced driving program called “Mopar Road Ready,” designed to teach safe and defensive driving techniques. Sponsored by The Chrysler Foundation and supported by Mopar, the program dedicated to training and educating teenage drivers will be available to those between the ages of 15-19 with a learner’s or driver’s license and at least 30 hours of driving experience.

Three two-day sessions will be offered in Pomona, Calif., (Feb 14-15), Gainesville, Fla., (March 21-22) and in the Detroit, Mich., area (May 2-3) free of charge to registered teens and their parents and guardians.

Mopar will work collaboratively with the NHRA Motorsports Museum and B.R.A.K.E.S (Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe), two nationally recognized non-profit 501(C)(3) organizations that share similar missions of promoting the importance of safe and responsible driving.

“Mopar is a brand that cares about and supports all its drivers, especially the youngest, and that is why we’ve teamed with the NHRA Motorsports Museum and B.R.A.K.E.S to develop the ‘Mopar Road Ready’ teen driver’s training program,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO—Mopar Service, Parts and Customer Care. “You can’t put a price on safety, so along with the Chrysler Foundation, Mopar will be supporting this very worthwhile initiative with six free sessions for teenage drivers through select Mopar dealers.”

The “Mopar Road Ready” program gives Mopar dealers a chance to provide an added-value driving experience for customers, particularly young drivers. The advanced driving program provides insight and instruction for valuable defensive driving skills and techniques on a closed course in a controlled environment. Each teen’s participation in the training program will include a companion experience for a parent or adult guardian who also will actively take part.

Participants will benefit from a proven curriculum and skilled high-caliber instructors provided by the B.R.A.K.E.S. organization, with both classroom education and hands-on training with a 3:1 student-to-instructor ratio allowing for quality time with each teen.

“The B.R.A.K.E.S. program has helped 13,000 kids learn safe driving techniques since 2008, and we’re very pleased to be able to help educate and save even more with the support of Mopar and the NHRA Motorsports Museum,” said Doug Herbert, a NHRA Top Fuel champion and popular drag racing veteran, who founded B.R.A.K.E.S after losing his two sons in a highway accident. “It’s important to all of us to have the opportunity to teach kids to be more conscientious and focused when behind the wheel, and give them the skills to avoid trouble.”

Through this collaborative effort, the “Mopar Road Ready” program hopes to impact more than a 1,000 additional young drivers and their parents.

“We are very pleased to be able to help more teens through this important program with The Chrysler Foundation and Mopar, and also continue to fulfill the NHRA’s original mission of promoting safe driving within the car culture,” said Larry Fisher, Executive Director of the NHRA Motorsport Museum. “Since its founding in 1951, the NHRA have been dedicated to safety. With this program we are proud to carry on Wally Park’s vision of creating a safe environment for drivers and to be able to do that with the youngest ones really makes this the perfect fit.”

Registration tickets for the free sessions will be available in early 2015 through select Mopar dealers, with participating dealers announced in December. Additional information will be available early next year on Mopar.com. To register, click here.

The NHRA competition committee today announced a points increase for NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series competitors at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, the world’s most prestigious drag race.

Drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle will be racing for their share of points using a point-and-a-half scale at the tradition-rich Labor Day event held annually at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis. The winner of the race in each Pro class will claim 150 points. The runners-up will earn 120 points; the semifinalists will earn 90 points apiece; the second-round finishers will earn 60 points each; and the first-round finishers will all claim 30 points.

A maximum of 208 points is available at the event to a single racer in each Mello Yello Series category through the points increase, which also includes 15 points to each driver who makes at least one qualifying attempt. In addition to 165 points for winning and making a qualifying attempt, the maximum also includes 20 points for setting a national record, 8 points for earning the No. 1 qualifying position, and a max total of 15 points for earning 3 qualifying bonus points in each of the five qualifying sessions.

The move promises to add even more excitement to the final regular-season race that has produced plenty of drama and emotionally charged performances in recent seasons. NHRA teams frantically try to gain maximum points at the event in hopes of securing one of the top-10 positions in the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s six-race playoff.

“With more points up for grabs, we certainly expect to see a lot of movement throughout the top 10s in each of the Mello Yello Series classes on the final day of the regular season,” said Graham Light, NHRA senior vice president of racing operations. “The Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals is already one of the most pressure-packed events on the circuit, and we expect that level of excitement to increase significantly with this points increase.”

The 61st Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, Sept. 2-7, which also features the NHRA Traxxas Nitro Shootout for Top Fuel and Funny Car, will be televised via 10 hours of coverage on ESPN and ESPN2.

]]>NHRA encourages rookies to experience their “Baptism by Nitro” in 2015urn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72015-01-27T17:00:00Z

NHRA has announced “Baptism by Nitro,” an exciting new campaign that energizes race fans to bring NHRA Drag Racing newcomers and immerse them into the sensations of the world’s fastest and most powerful motorsport.

Inspired by the popular phrase “Baptism by Fire,” a commonly used phrase to describe when an individual is thrust into a new situation, experience, or environment, “Baptism by Nitro” is NHRA’s call to encourage longtime fans to bring a family member or friend that hasn’t experienced the heart-pounding atmosphere of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

A fan’s first nitro experience is unforgettable. The rumble of 10,000 horsepower side-by-side action and the smell of the nitro-burning cars launching down the dragstrip at more than 300 mph are sensations that can only be experienced at an NHRA national event. Die-hard fans flock to the world famous open pits, watching the buildup and teardown of every race car competing during the weekend. The exhilarating action and fan accessibility are just a few of the many reasons why NHRA Drag Racing has developed an incredible fan base, one of the most loyal in sports.

Throughout the 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season, NHRA fans are encouraged to share first-time fan “Baptism by Nitro” experiences on social media. Prizes will be given away all year to the best nitro rookie reactions captured in the pits or in the grandstands and posted to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. All posts should include the hashtag #BaptismbyNitro and tag @NHRA.

Prior to the season-opening Circle K NHRA Winternationals, fans are encouraged to go online and nominate a nitro rookie and explain why their designated candidate deserves a VIP “Baptism by Nitro” experience. The winning entry will receive four tickets to the 2015 Circle K NHRA Winternationals, VIP “Inside the Ropes” access for a nitro warm-up, and starting-line access where each new fan will be truly baptized by nitro. Fans can log on to http://bit.ly/BapNitroPC1 or visit NHRA’s Facebook page for their chance to win this VIP experience.

Fans of other race markets need not to worry; the VIP “Baptism by Nitro” experience will be awarded at stops on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series circuit in 2015. Stay tuned for contest details.

]]>Five live eliminations shows highlight 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Series TV packageurn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72015-01-26T19:21:00ZFive live eliminations broadcasts highlight more than 100 hours of television programming of the 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series on ESPN and ESPN2.

Three of those live races – Charlotte, Bristol, and Norwalk – will air on ESPN.

The 2015 season will open with ESPN2’s coverage of the tradition-rich Circle K NHRA Winternationals at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Southern California with a 90-minute qualifying show Saturday, Feb. 7, at 10 p.m. ET and a three-hour eliminations show Sunday, Feb. 8, at 7:30 p.m. ET. ESPN’s full schedule of NHRA races is below.

The Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, the world’s most prestigious drag race, will again be showcased via 10 hours of coverage during Labor Day weekend on both ESPN and ESPN2.

Each stop in the six-race NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s playoffs, will again be highlighted by a three-hour eliminations show in prime time on ESPN2. Qualifying showtimes for the Countdown to the Championship races will be announced at a later date.

Host Dave Rieff and analyst Mike Dunn return to the broadcast booth and will be joined by pit reporters Gary Gerould and John Kernan as ESPN begins its 15th season of NHRA telecasts. ESPN veteran Rieff begins his third season as the show anchor, and Dunn, a former Top Fuel and Funny Car driver with 22 NHRA victories, will start his 14th season providing color commentary.

All telecasts will air in high definition on ESPN or ESPN2 and are available in some 95 million households nationwide. The telecasts will feature competition from each of the four classes in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. In addition, ESPN will provide Sunday re-airs of most late qualifying shows that originate in the early-morning hours on the East Coast.

2015 NHRA MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING SERIES TELEVISION SCHEDULE

All times Eastern. All shows to air on ESPN2 unless otherwise noted. Schedule is subject to change. Please check local listings.

Aerospace Components, a leader in manufacturing high performance drag racing products, has signed an agreement to become the presenting sponsor of the NHRA Excellence in Engineering Award at select NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events in 2015.

“Aerospace Components is honored to be the sponsor for the NHRA Excellence in Engineering Award,” said Kimberly Kussy, chief marketing and financial officer and owner/vice president of Aerospace Components. “Because we engineer, design and build high performance drag racing components, it is exciting to support those doing the same. We are thrilled to present this award to the drag racers and their teams for excellence in mechanical accomplishments and their abilities in building and designing a race vehicle.”

The NHRA Excellence in Engineering Award, formerly known as the Best Engineered Car Award, will be presented at 12 NHRA Mello Yello Series races in 2015. The prestigious award specific Wally is presented to an individual who brings a unique edge in craftsmanship and technology to each NHRA national event. The award is voted on by the NHRA Tech Department and past winners have included unique chassis builders, drivers that feature distinctive parts and plugs and individuals who work to design and test unique concepts.

“The NHRA Aerospace Components Excellence in Engineering Award will put an even greater spotlight on the most technically sophisticated machines that compete at NHRA Mello Yello Series events,” said Gary Darcy, NHRA senior vice president of sales and marketing. “Aerospace Components’ commitment to this program is appreciated and we look forward to a great partnership.”

Aerospace Components is a family-owned and -operated business that has been producing high quality components for more than 28 years. Aerospace Components started out doing government contract work, primarily the manufacturing of defense systems, guidance systems and space station components. Today, the Aerospace Components name is known throughout the racing industry as one of the leaders in manufacturing high performance drag racing products. The company is a one stop shop that designs and builds brake systems for any make or model car. In addition, Aerospace Components also designs and sells billet aluminum vacuum pump systems, fuel pumps, water pumps, two speed Powerglide shifters and more.

"This year's class truly reflects the wide range of American motorsports – which has always been the foundation for our facility," said Ron Watson, president of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. "These gentlemen achieved success on two wheels and four, on dirt and pavement, on every kind of track – plus off the road entirely."

The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America is racing's Cooperstown, memorializing achievement in all forms of motorized competition. Throughout the years, 216 motorsports luminaries have been inducted. The 99-person nominating panel itself reads like a Who's Who of racing, with stars such as Don Garlits, Mario Andretti, Craig Breedlove, and Richard Petty involved in the process.

Johnson won the six NHRA Pro Stock championships and 97 NHRA national events, the most in class history and second overall among NHRA’s Professional classes. In 1997, he became the first NHRA Pro Stock driver to exceed 200 mph with a pass of 200.13 in Richmond, Va. He claimed four consecutive Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals crowns (1992-95) and ended the decade with his sixth Nationals title in 1999. He was ranked seventh on the list of the best drivers of NHRA's first 50 years and is a member of the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.

"Undeniably, this is another unbelievable class of inductees," said John Doonan, the chairman of the Motorsports Hall of Fame board of directors. "And it's also another class which personifies what the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America is all about."

For tickets for the induction ceremony, call 248-349-7223 or log on to the Hall of Fame's website, www.mshf.com.

The Motorsports Museum & Hall of Fame of America is operated by the nonprofit Motorsports Museum and Hall of Fame of America Foundation Inc.

The Jim Dunn Racing team will step back in time at the Circle K NHRA Winternationals, not only donning the retro paint scheme on the Moon-Equipped Dodge Funny Car but also wearing vintage crew uniforms. The entire car will be in black and white, including the decals for primary sponsor ALO Drink and selected associate sponsors.

“We wanted to pay tribute to Mooneyes, who has been with us since the beginning and is one of our biggest supporters,” said team manager Jon Dunn. “Looking back on pictures of Dad in the day, the black and white theme really stood out to us, so we decided that’s how the car should look. As for the uniforms, we thought that would be really creative and just complete the entire retro scheme.”

A new collectible hero card showcasing the longtime relationship between Jim Dunn Racing and Mooneyes will be available in the team pit area all weekend.

Victory Motorcycles will enter the world of NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle competition with the creation of Victory Factory Racing, which will boast the riding team of two-time NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world champion Matt Smith and his wife, Angie.

“Victory is excited to enter the world of NHRA Pro Stock drag racing,” said Steve Menneto, VP Motorcycles for Polaris. “It is Victory’s intent to continue to test ourselves at the highest levels, and the Victory Factory Racing team is the perfect opportunity for us.”

According to Matt Smith, Victory first approached NHRA at the fall Las Vegas event, kicking off a whirlwind of effort to get the body designed and approved by NHRA. The Smiths were chosen from three teams under consideration by Victory, whose street lineup features premium cruisers, baggers, and touring models. The race vehicle will be patterned after the company’s popular Gunner model.

Smith will be able to transplant his powerful S&S V-Twin powertrain right into the Victory bike.

Smith, who worked all winter with Minnesota-based Victory on the body design, is expected to take possession of the first body this week and will take the bike to the wind tunnel Jan. 30.

The Victory Gunner sports a small front windscreen similar to the Vance & Hines Harley-Davidsons as opposed to the wraparound fairing more commonplace in the class.

“I won’t know how I might have to adjust my riding stance until we get to the wind tunnel, but I think it’s going to be better,” said Smith, who plans to test the bike on the track in Florida in mid- to late February in advance of the Pro Stock Motorcycle season opener, the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, March 12-15. “It’s pretty different from what I’ve ridden in the past, but it’s got a smaller frontal area than the Buell, which is always a good thing.”

Both bikes will run in the gunmetal gray color shown below, but Matt’s bike will incorporate Nitro Fish, and Angie’s bike will include Kandy Magazine; both will enjoy backing from Stockseth Racing.

Dave Connolly is just two weeks from making his NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Top Fuel debut when the 2015 season begins with the Circle K NHRA Winternationals, Feb. 5-8, at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

Needless to say, the longtime Pro Stock star is more than thrilled to experience his first race behind the wheel of his 10,000-horsepower C&J Energy Services dragster at the tradition-rich season opener at the fabled Southern California dragstrip.

“The season is right around the corner, and that’s pretty exciting,” Connolly said. “I’ve been able to experience a lot, getting that first full pass, and I’ve really grown to appreciate the car. These Top Fuel cars are the baddest things on the planet. There’s no way to prepare for it. These cars are so impressive. They just set you back in the seat the whole way down the track.”

Dave Connolly

Connolly will be competing against the best in Top Fuel as the NHRA’s top stars look to start the 2015 campaign in memorable fashion. Khalid alBalooshi (Top Fuel), John Force (Funny Car), and Jason Line (Pro Stock) were last year’s winners of the race that will again be televised nationally on ESPN2.

Connolly is certainly a familiar name to NHRA fans, compiling an impressive 26 wins during a highly successful Pro Stock career. Three of those victories came last year, when Connolly finished third in the points standings. But when Bob Vandergriff Jr. announced his retirement after the 2014 season, he looked to Connolly to take over the driving duties.

Connolly jumped at the opportunity and will be half of what appears to be a championship-minded team with three-time world champ Larry Dixon driving the team’s second car. Vandergriff will serve as the team’s owner, and Connolly has already been impressed with how quickly the team, led by crew chief Kurt Elliott, has come together.

“I’ve got a lot to learn, but I’ve got a lot of confidence in the team Bob has put together,” Connolly said. “Larry and I will have two great cars. A big positive is the team chemistry. It’s been great, and that goes a long way. I feel like we’ve got all the right parts and pieces in place.”

Connolly also knows that his first season in Top Fuel will be filled with challenges as he tackles the immense task of trying to harness the power of a 320-mph dragster. He made seven test runs in December and followed with another successful test session earlier this month, making his first full pass and reaching the 3.70s for the first time.

By the time the season opens in Pomona, Connolly will have more than 20 runs in the dragster. That’s enough for the comfort level to increase, but Connolly admits there is still a long way to go.

“Really, until you sit in one, you don’t realize the amount of ground you cover in such a short time,” Connolly said. “You have to stay ahead of the car, and that’s hard to do when you’re going more than 300 mph. Hopefully, after 20 to 30 laps, it will start to slow down, and it already is a little bit. It’s just going to be a work in progress.”

That work in progress means staying patient throughout the process. It may be difficult for a veteran like Connolly to accept, but he knows that making small strides early could pay big dividends down the road, namely during the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship.

“When you’re setting goals for yourself, you have to learn to walk before you run in these cars, and I understood that going in,” Connolly said. “I knew there would be a learning curve, and that’s the way it is.”

The learning curve gets a little steeper when the vast talent of the Top Fuel class is thrown into the mix. It’s led by reigning world champion Tony Schumacher, who claimed his eighth world championship in 2014. Former world champions Antron Brown, Dixon, and Shawn Langdon as well as top challengers J.R. Todd, Spencer Massey, Doug Kalitta, and 2014 NHRA rookie of the year Richie Crampton will aim to prevent a ninth world title for Schumacher.

Connolly hopes to be in that mix as well, but just getting to compete in the Top Fuel ranks has brought a level of excitement that figures to remain high throughout the 2015 season.

“This is humbling, and I’m very blessed to have an opportunity like this,” Connolly said. “In my opinion, racing in Top Fuel is the pinnacle of NHRA Drag Racing. Top Fuel cars are the fastest cars on the planet, and to drive and experience it, it’s pretty incredible. I’m just going to make the best of it and give it my all.”

Matt Hagan

Erica Enders-Stevens

In Funny Car, Virginia cattle rancher Matt Hagan claimed his second world championship at the season-ending race last season, dethroning 16-time world champion John Force in Pomona. Hagan, who won his first championship in 2011, will try to thwart a list of perennial stars in the loaded class, including John Force, Courtney Force, Ron Capps, Jack Beckman, Cruz Pedregon, Tommy Johnson Jr., Alexis DeJoria, Del Worsham, and Tim Wilkerson.

In Pro Stock, Erica Enders-Stevens reigned supreme in one of the most exciting championship battles ever, defeating Jason Line in a winner-take-all final side-by-side race of the year to claim her first world championship. Enders-Stevens, who became the first female Pro Stock champion, will be looking to add to her 12 victories at the controls of her Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro but will face stiff challenges from the likes of Line, Allen Johnson, four-time world champ Greg Anderson, Shane Gray, Jonathan Gray, and Vincent Nobile.

As always, fans will have the opportunity to interact with their favorite drivers as they’re granted an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. This unique opportunity in motorsports gives fans direct access to the teams, allowing them to see firsthand the highly skilled mechanics service their hot rods between rounds and enjoy cherished face time with and get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers.

Fans also will want to visit NHRA’s popular Nitro Alley and Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and race vendors create a carnival atmosphere with interactive displays, simulated competitions, merchandise, food, and fun for the entire family.

The event will also feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.

Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying begins Friday, Feb. 6, with sessions at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. The final two qualifying sessions will take place Saturday, Feb. 7, at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 8.

The new agreement will have Rocky as the primary sponsor for Hagan at six NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events each year. Hagan and the Rocky Boots/Mopar Express Lane Dodge have won two of the past four Funny Car championships (2011 and 2014).

"We are thrilled to announce this new multiyear agreement with DSR and Matt Hagan," said Jordan Gottke, director of marketing for Rocky and Georgia Boot. “Our first few years of this relationship gained us significant pieces of business, one being Matt Hagan Outdoors and the other with DSR sponsor Matco Tools. Additionally, Rocky couldn't be prouder to work with a championship-winning organization and with Matt and his race team."

DSR owner Don Schumacher is happy to start 2015 knowing that Rocky will remain onboard through the 2017 season.

"Rocky is such a natural fit for Matt and DSR," Schumacher said. "We're thrilled to extend our partnership with Rocky and couldn't have been happier that Matt and his team were able to win a world championship with such a supportive sponsor like Rocky."

The partnership between DSR and Rocky, which began in 2012, has worked perfectly for Hagan, a cattle farmer and avid outdoorsman in Christiansburg, Va. Hagan, 32, and his father, David Hagan, opened Matt Hagan Outdoors in 2013 in Radford, Va., which features Rocky boots and gear. The store's success in less than a year required moving to a larger location (7327 Peppers Ferry Road in Radford) last month.

Matt Hagan Outdoors was the site of a world championship celebration Dec. 19 that featured Hagan and his championship Rocky/Mopar Funny Car.

"It's pretty incredible to re-up with Rocky for two years," Hagan said. "The Rocky brand speaks for itself, and to be associated with those folks makes us very proud. We're honored that Rocky is staying with us. It's very humbling.

"It's a relationship that fits in with what I do on the ranch and our family's outdoor activities. We do a lot of hunting and fishing, and I'm very proud to be associated with a sponsor like Rocky that I truly am 100 percent involved with every day of my life.

"It was very special to win a couple races with the Rocky body on our Funny Car and to win a world championship with them last year."

Hagan and his Rocky/Mopar team led by crew chief Dickie Venables and assistant Michael Knudsen got off to a shocking start preparing to repeat their 2014 championship, which is the 13th for DSR.

At a Dec. 8 test session in Florida, the team's last run was completed in 3.954 seconds at 323.97 mph, the quickest run ever by a Funny Car.

Hagan said that he and his Rocky/Mopar team were inspired the previous day by a visit from Schumacher, who was in Florida recovering from successful cancer surgery the prior month.

"That was for Don," he said of the run. "It was great to see him. To see the smile on his face was huge for me. Everything we do is for him. A run like this, in his backyard, was exactly what we wanted to do for him."

Hagan and DSR's other six teams will open the 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Series Feb. 5-8 in Pomona.

Jon Schaffer has been promoted to crew chief for 16-time Funny Car world champion John Force’s Peak Camaro SS Funny Car. John Force Racing’s brain trust will continue to be led by Mike Neff, crew chief for Robert Hight’s Auto Club Camaro SS Funny Car.

Previously, Schaffer worked with Neff as his assistant crew chief, but the 27-year-old Californian will be making the calls on Force’s car beginning with testing in Phoenix. Longtime crewmember Tim Fabrisi will be stepping up to assist Neff on the Auto Club Camaro SS Funny Car, and Nick Casertano has been added to the Peak team as car chief.

“We have developed the next generation of drivers, and now I want to do the same thing with our crew chiefs,” said an excited Force. “We have so much young talent; I want to start giving these guys a chance to grow and develop their talents. Mike Neff, Ron Douglas, Dean Antonelli, Todd Smith, and Dan Hood have a lot of experience, and we want to continue to grow and be competitive at a championship level. Guys like Jon Schaffer and Tim Fabrisi as well as new hires Ronnie Thompson and Nick Casertano will keep us young and on the cutting edge.”

On the Top Fuel team led by Todd Smith, JFR has hired Thompson to assist Smith on the dragster piloted by Brittany Force. Thompson was previously with Al-Anabi Racing, working on Khalid alBalooshi’s Top Fueler.

The Traxxas Camaro SS Funny Car driven by Courtney Force will continue to be led by Douglas and Hood.

Longtime crew chief Dean “Guido” Antonelli has been promoted to general manager of the JFR Brownsburg, Ind., shop. Antonelli will continue to be an integral part of the JFR crew chief brain trust and will see his duties grow to oversee the rapidly expanding parts-manufacturing operation in Brownsburg. Antonelli’s vast experience with both Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars will be critical to the expansion of this profit center for JFR.

“We will always have a brain trust, and our lead man will be Mike Neff. You have to have stability, and that is one thing that we have had over the past couple of decades. You don’t win as many championships as we have with as many different guys without a great core group. I know crew chiefs will move around. That is the nature of this business. I want to continue to develop talent inside John Force Racing and continue to keep winning,” added Force.

Jim Dunn Racing has announced ALO Drink as its new primary sponsor on its Funny Car for the 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. The all-natural, aloe-vera-based beverage will be prominently displayed on the Dodge Funny Car and on the racing team hauler that will be at all 24 races this year.

“The partnership with ALO Drink is very exciting for Jim Dunn Racing and to all our fans. Their drinks not only taste great but are good for you. All of our family and friends enjoy ALO Drinks, and we encourage everyone to try a bottle. We look forward to promoting the ALO Drink brand as we compete in the NHRA Mello Yello Series with new driver John Hale behind the wheel,” said team manager Jon Dunn.

ALO Drink is the best-selling, ready-to-drink aloe-vera-based beverage line in the U.S. It comes in 17 varieties. ALO Drink has won multiple awards since being launched in 2009. In 2015, it will debut a pulp-free edition of its drink.

The Jim Dunn Racing ALO Drink Funny Car will debut at the 2015 Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville. The first two races of the season and selected events through 2015 will feature special-edition cars, including a Moon Equipped black and white collector’s version at the Circle K NHRA Winternationals.

"We are thrilled to be a part of Jim Dunn Racing this year and excited about the new season,” said ALO Drink founder Henry Chen. “We're looking forward to working with the Jim Dunn Racing team to introduce ALO Drink to race fans across the country."

]]>Beckman Massey lead Florida testersurn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72015-01-18T20:53:00Z]]>McClenathan to race with Dakin, Tuttleurn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72015-01-16T17:04:00ZJohn Force returns to his Chevrolet rootsurn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72015-01-15T18:30:00Z

John Force Racing and Chevrolet will join forces on the 18-time NHRA Funny Car championship team beginning with the 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season. The multi-year agreement will see all three John Force Racing Chevrolet Camaro Funny Cars, as well as the JFR Top Fuel dragster, adorned with the iconic gold bowtie.
“John Force is a champion and a legend both on and off the track, as a driver and as a team owner,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet Vice President for Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “John Force is a racer’s racer and a fierce competitor, and we are excited to welcome John and his team back to Chevrolet.”

“It is great to be back with Chevrolet. I started my career in a Chevy and my plan is to keep racing with them for many years to come. This is a great American company and we are excited about the opportunities in front of us,” said John Force, CEO John Force Racing and 16-time Funny Car champion.
The first 60 starts of John Force’s illustrious career were behind the wheel of a Chevrolet product. From 1978-80 he raced a Corvette before switching to a Citation (1981-82), Camaro (1983-84), Corvette (1985), and then a Cavalier (1986). Force won the 1994 NHRA Funny Car championship racing a Chevy Lumina to a 50-8 record, scoring 10 wins in 11 finals while earning 12 No. 1 qualifying positions.

“I won my first round of racing, went to my first final and got my first No. 1 in a Chevy. Since then I have won more rounds, races, championships than anyone in the sport. I have the record for most No. 1 qualifiers too and I can’t wait to get to the Winternationals and start adding to those records in a brand new Chevy,” added Force.

Chevrolet completed one of its most successful years in its motorsports history in 2014, earning five manufacturer and six driver championships in NHRA, NASCAR, IndyCar, United SportsCar Championship and World Challenge series.

In addition, Chevrolet drivers won several noteworthy races in 2014, including the NHRA U.S. Nationals in Pro Stock and Stock Eliminator classes, Daytona 500, Brickyard 400, IndyCar Dual in Detroit, and the 24 Hours of Daytona.

Maple Grove Raceway's NHRA-sanctioned dragstrip will undergo a significant facelift in order to create a better, more consistent racing surface for its racers.

The track will be torn up beginning at the 770-foot point of the track and will continue past the finish line. The track currently is concrete from the starting line to the 770-foot point. The old paving will be replaced to create an all-concrete dragstrip from start to finish.

"We are making a significant investment in the track to create a better, more consistent surface for our racers," said MGR Vice President & General Manager Lex Dudas. "Maple Grove Raceway is famous as the NHRA's quickest and fastest track where national records are set. We are confident our racers will be excited about the improved surface and the fans will be thrilled with the speed and performance."

NHRA Mello Yello Funny Car champ Matt Hagan, who won the Funny Car final at the NHRA Nationals in October and went on to earn his second points championship, commented, "Maple Grove was the turning point for our team," said "It is where we took over the points lead and never looked back. I love racing at Maple Grove especially when the conditions are always so good, usually good enough to set a world record. The track is phenomenal, prep is phenomenal and the fans are phenomenal. I am looking forward to getting back there to try to set another world record.”

Erica Enders-Stevens won the 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock championship and is a fan of MGR.

"This is great news," she proclaimed. "Maple Grove is a really cool track and when the weather conditions are good, the naturally-aspirated, 500-inch motors we use in our race cars can really make big horsepower. A lot of places say they are record-setting tracks, and it's true there have been records set elsewhere, but Maple Grove offers up those kinds of conditions every year so it's great to know the track will be able to handle it. It'll be good for the fans watching also. I love the facility."

Work on the track will commence as soon as the weather permits. The concrete work will be done by Descco Design & Construction in Fleetwood, Pa.

Due to the track reconstruction, drag racing at MGR will start on May 2. The spring flea market and swap meet will take place on the raceway grounds on April 11.

Now in its 53nd year of operation, historic Maple Grove Raceway is recognized as one of the leading NHRA-sanctioned drag strips in the United States. MGR’s 31st annual NHRA Keystone Nationals Mello Yello Drag Racing Series national event will take place Oct. 1-4, 2015.

Pro Stock veteran Larry Morgan will drive the FireAde Chevrolet Camaro in the Pro Stock class for the 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, with engines provided by Gray Motorsports. Fire Service Plus Inc., is a global leader in innovative and environmental-friendly firefighting, tank cleaning and dust control products.

"We look forward to a long and successful partnership with Larry and his team," FireAde President and Chief Executive Officer Ron Thames said. "Like us, Larry puts family first but he also knows how to get things done, and we know our relationship will only get stronger as the year progresses. We can't wait to see the FireAde Chevy go down the track many times."

In Morgan's career, he has won 17 national events - including 10 in NHRA Pro Stock - and has raced to 43 final rounds. He is currently the longest-tenured full-time driver in the class.

"We wanted to come back and do it right, and Ron and FireAde are giving us the chance to do it right," Morgan said. "There is a lot of work to be done, but with Ron's support - and the continued backing of Lucas Oil and Streamlight - we can be much better in 2015. I can't wait for Pomona.

"We're definitely excited to partner with such a good company like FireAde. Ron Thames is a class act, and he's done a lot for firefighters across the world to do their jobs better. This is an exciting time of year for us."

A new Jerry Haas Race Cars Camaro has been built for Morgan and is ready for a new FireAde paint scheme to be added. Morgan last raced a Chevrolet in 1999.

"I look forward to racing a Chevy again and getting hooked back up with GM," Morgan said. "They were good to me in my time with them, and I know they will be again."

Morgan has long had his own in-house engine program, but that will be set aside as he will lease engines from the powerful Gray Motorsports camp.

"For us to start over from scratch on an engine program would have been more costly than it would be to lease," Morgan said. "We felt the Grays were the best fit for us right now."

And it extends a relationship Morgan has had with Gray Motorsports owner Johnny Gray.

"We've been friends for more than 35 years," Morgan said. "It's an honor for us to be able to race with them again. We feel they're at the top with horsepower, and we look forward to having a good time."

Thames started Fire Service Plus in 1998 and since helped the company become a worldwide leader through its FireAde brand. FireAde 2000 and its associated products continue to revolutionize the firefighting industry with more than 30 years of research and development. FireAde
2000 is 100-percent environmentally friendly and is the most complete and user-friendly firefighting agent produced in the world.

FireAde's products are manufactured under strict quality control at the corporate facilities located in Fayetteville, Ga. Fire Service Plus utilizes cutting-edge chemistry, including trademarked Green Agent Technology, to deliver superior results.

Fire Service Plus supports a worldwide network of dealers through a 22,000-square-foot facility that is capable of producing over 24,000 gallons of finished product daily. The storage capacity and inventory is in excess of 100,000 gallons, and coupled with a 24-hour emergency response, guarantees 100 percent customer support.

]]>Top Dragster, Top Sportsman to compete for NHRA national championships in 2015urn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72015-01-09T20:00:00Z

NHRA’s Top Dragster and Top Sportsman classes will compete for NHRA national championships beginning in 2015. Both season champions will be awarded with NHRA National Champion’s Wally trophies along with National Championship rings and jackets.

The two classes will be contested at 14 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series national events across the country, as well as the three NHRA JEGS SPORTSnationals events and at all NHRA Lucas Drag Racing Series divisional events. To earn NHRA National Championships, drivers in both classes will count their best three of their first five national events, and their best five of their first eight divisional events. The JEGS SPORTSnationals events will be counted as national events, with competitors earning national event points.

The six-second, 200-mph race cars featured in both classes have continued to increase in popularity and participation. The addition of three new events in 2015 will include the Route 66 NHRA Nationals which also plays host to the JEGS Allstars.

“We've seen the two categories grow since 2002 with the introduction of Top Sportsman and 2005 with Top Dragster,” said Josh Peterson, NHRA Vice President of Racing Administration. “Recognizing an NHRA National Champion in Top Sportsman and Top Dragster is the next step as interest by racers, sponsors and fans continues to grow.”

Class field sizes will not change as a 32-car field will be contested at all national events, including the three JEGS SPORTSnationals, and at Lucas Oil divisional events in divisions 1-5. Divisions 6 and 7 will continue to contest 48-car fields with the final Lucas Oil divisional event of the year held at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway hosting a 64-car field.

The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series will kick off another season in sunny Southern California with the tradition-rich Circle K NHRA Winternationals, Feb. 5-8, at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

Celebrating its 55th running, the iconic season-opener has always been on the top of every NHRA driver’s list of dream races to win on the Mello Yello circuit. Drag racing’s biggest names have reigned supreme at the facility located at the L.A. Fairplex, also home to the Los Angeles County Fair.

The best in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock will once again attempt to get off to a lightning quick start at one of drag racing’s most revered events. Khalid alBalooshi (Top Fuel), John Force (Funny Car) and Jason Line (Pro Stock) were last year’s winners of the race that will once again be televised nationally on ESPN2.

Tony Schumacher

Matt Hagan

Erica Enders-Stevens

In Top Fuel, reigning world champion Tony Schumacher will be looking to defend his crown. Schumacher, an eight-time world champion, will once again pilot the U.S. Army dragster for Don Schumacher Racing in 2015. He closed the 2014 season in style with victories at three of the six Countdown to the Championship events and clinched the championship during qualifying of the season-ending Auto Club NHRA Finals in November. Schumacher is a two-time winner of the Circle K NHRA Winternationals.

Former world champions Antron Brown and Larry Dixon, as well as top category challengers J.R. Todd, Spencer Massey, Doug Kalitta, 2014 NHRA rookie of the year Richie Crampton and category newcomer Dave Connolly, will all be racing fast to prevent Schumacher from adding to his category-leading win total and winning another series crown.

In Funny Car, Virginia cattle rancher Matt Hagan claimed his second world championship at the season-ending race last season, dethroning 16-time world champion John Force. Hagan, who won his first championship in 2011, will return to the controls of his 10,000 horsepower Mopar Express Lane Dodge Charger for Don Schumacher Racing. He was the Winternationals runner-up last season event and is a two-time defending winner of the NHRA Finals at Pomona. He is looking for his first victory at the Circle K NHRA Winternationals.

The Force-Hagan rivalry has been intense the last few seasons with both competing for the world championship and finishing first and second two seasons in a row. Fans are being treated to a Funny Car rivalry that is poised to enter the legendary status of the Force-Cruz Pedregon rivalry of the 1990s.

Force is not resting on his laurels however. He is determined to win his 17th championship and will be looking to repeat his season-opening win. He will be joined by third-place finisher Tommy Johnson Jr., and his teammates, daughter Courtney Force and Robert Hight, in their attempts to wrestle the championship away from Hagan.

In Pro Stock, Erica Enders-Stevens reigned supreme in one of the most exciting championship battles ever, defeating Jason Line in a winner-take-all final side-by-side race of the year to claim her first world championship. Enders-Stevens, who became the first female Pro Stock champion and third female to win a title in the NHRA professional ranks, returns in her Elite Motorsports Chevy Camaro and will be looking to add a win at the season-opening event to her collection of 12 career victories.

Line, a two-time world champion, is the defending and three-time winner of the Winternationals. Past world champ Allen Johnson and Gray Motorsports teammates Shane Gray and Jonathan Gray will all figure to be major factors in both the Circle K NHRA Winternationals and the 2015 championship hunt.

As always, fans will have the opportunity to interact with their favorite drivers as they’re granted an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. This unique opportunity in motorsports gives fans direct access to the teams, allowing them to see firsthand the highly-skilled mechanics service their hot rods between rounds, and enjoy some cherished face time and get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers.

Fans also will want to visit NHRA’s popular Nitro Alley and Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and race vendors create a carnival atmosphere, with interactive displays, simulated competitions, merchandise, food and fun for the entire family.

The event will also feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.

Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying begins Friday, Feb. 6, with sessions at 12:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. The final two qualifying sessions will take place Saturday, Feb. 7, at 12:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 8.

To purchase general-admission or reserved seats, call 800-884-NHRA (6472). For more information about the NHRA visit www.NHRA.com.

Tim Wilkerson, owner/tuner/driver of the Levi, Ray & Shoup Funny Car, has added Richard Hartman to the organization. Hartman is a highly respected veteran of the sport who has enjoyed a lengthy career that spans nearly all aspects of NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing, from crew chief to driver, while he also mastered nearly every other position along the way.

"I'm thrilled to have Richard join our program, and I'm really excited about what he can bring to our race car," Tim Wilkerson said. "There's basically not a thing on a fuel car that Richard hasn't worked on, built, or analyzed from every direction, and he's one of those talented guys who has done just about anything you can do in drag racing, inside the cockpit and out.

"This sport is one where nothing stays the same for very long, and that includes the people you have on your team, so when a couple of our guys moved on to different opportunities, and Richard was available, I got him on the phone as fast as I could dial his number. He'll be a great addition as another set of eyes, both in terms of helping with the tune-up and with the assembly of the car, and he'll bring a lot of other positive traits with him on top of all that. He's going to be an important part of the LRS program as we move forward."

Born into a drag racing family, Hartman's career started at the age of eight, when he began helping his father Virgil Hartman on the family's dragsters. His sister Rhonda Hartman-Smith and her husband John "Bodie" Smith have both driven professionally as well.

As a driver, Hartman claimed spots in the NHRA Funny Car Top 10 during consecutive seasons (1990-1991) and he was the sixth Funny Car driver to earn a berth in the prestigious Castrol 4-Second Club, in 1996. Hartman began tuning in 1998, and has spent the last four seasons as crew chief for Top Fuel driver Terry McMillen.

Hartman brings a vast wealth of race-car knowledge to Team Wilkerson, and he's equally as fired up to get the 2015 Mello Yello season underway.

"I am so excited to join Tim and the LRS team, I can hardly even put it into words," Hartman said. "Tim has been one of my go-to guys for many years and any time the race car would have me stumped in some way, he'd always take the time to talk with me and help me get it sorted out. On top of that, he's one of the all-around best people in this sport, and I'll be there to help in any way Tim wants.

"It's been a long time since I was this pumped up about starting a new season, and because we're going to have some new faces on the team, mine included, I'm really happy that Tim has committed to testing in Phoenix, two weeks before Pomona. We'll all have a chance to mesh a little as a team and get to know each other, and we'll see how much good we can do on the track. I know Tim hasn't tested much the last few years, because he saves his budget for the season, so hopefully we can get a little edge and a head-start before we kick off the real racing in February. I can't wait."

Although consistency has been a prized asset at Team Wilkerson over the years, it's not uncommon for any team in the professional ranks to add new crew members before any given season, and that's the case with Team Wilk for 2015.

"We're kind of like that low-budget franchise that does a pretty good job developing talent, but when they become free agents we have a hard time competing to keep them all here," Wilk said. "So, we lost a couple of guys and are shifting a few guys into new roles, but it's nothing we haven't gone through before and we have a good core in place. Having Richard on-board will be a big asset for us, as we try to gel a little and the guys get the chance to figure it out. I'm hopeful that having Richard with us might just get us over the hump a little bit, in terms of winning rounds and winning races. We're fired up."

Team Wilk will be testing in Phoenix, at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, during the weekend of January 24-25. The 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing season will begin two weeks later, February 6-8 at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona.

NHRA drivers once again are in the hunt for prestigious honors in RACER magazine’s annual awards balloting, with the chance to keep the sport in the limelight in both the Racer of the Year and Rookie of the year balloting. Last year, John Force won the former and his daughter, Brittany, the latter for an impressive NHRA sweep of the voting.

Among those expected to gather a lot of votes from the NHRA community are Erica Enders-Stevens, who made history as NHRA’s first female Pro Stock world champion, along with fellow 2014 titlists Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel) and Matt Hagan.

Richie Crampton, named the Auto Club NHRA Road to the Future winner, is the only drag racer on the ballot for the 2014 RACER rookie award.

]]>Jim Dunn Racing announces Hale as new driver for 2015urn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72015-01-05T21:02:00Z

Jim Dunn Racing has announced that John Hale will drive its Dodge Funny Car at all 24 events on the 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

Hale replaces Jeff Arend, who has driven for Jim Dunn Racing in 2013 and 2014.

“Our goal is to go out and do the best we can for our sponsors and fans, while making it into the Countdown to the Championship,” said team business manager Jon Dunn. “We’re looking forward to having John Hale behind the wheel to help us achieve those goals."

For Hale, driving for the Dunn family is an opportunity of a lifetime. The Texas native earned his nitro Funny Car license in 2013 and competed in several national events in 2013 and 2014. Hale is a two-time Nostalgia Funny Car champion and actively competes on the NHRA Hot Rod Heritage series, where he won the 2011 and 2013 California Hot Rod Reunions.

"When the Dunns approached me to drive for them in the 2015 season, I knew it was an opportunity I had to take," Hale said. "The Dunns run a tight, family-based operation, and that's something I'm really excited to be part of. When I'm at home or on the road with my nostalgia team, we are a family. All I know how to do is race with family."

]]>Alund to return to U.S. for four-race visiturn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72015-01-05T18:38:00Z]]>Al-Anabi/Alan Johnson Racing exploring 2015 optionsurn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72015-01-05T17:45:00ZThe 2015 plans for the two-car Al-Anabi Racing team operated by Alan Johnson Racing are in question after the announcement that the Qatar Racing Club has terminated funding for all motorsports activities in North America.

According to a press release issued by the team, the decision was made in the final days of 2014, and team members were notified Jan. 5.

“We are obviously surprised and disappointed about this completely unexpected turn of events,” said team owner Alan Johnson. “Our plans for the 2015 NHRA season were nearing completion starting with pre-season testing next week in Florida and the first race of the 2015 NHRA season a month from today in California. Many things are uncertain, and our situation is obviously still evolving. We are currently exploring our options, and we hope to have more news in the near future.”

The Al-Anabi Racing Team won NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Top Fuel world championships in 2010, ’11 and ’13. The team has won 42 races in the last six seasons with drivers Larry Dixon, Del Worsham, Shawn Langdon and Khalid alBalooshi. When the team has additional information regarding its future, it will make another announcement.

]]>Best of Photographic Memoriesurn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72015-01-02T11:03:00ZBest of #ThrowbackThursdayurn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72015-01-01T11:59:00ZHappy New Year 2015 from the staff of the NHRAurn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72015-01-01T08:23:00ZThe Best of The Sports Reporturn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72014-12-31T13:32:00ZBest of Backtrackin' Coversurn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72014-12-30T11:17:00ZThe Best of MMCCurn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72014-12-29T08:14:00ZRacer of the Year voting opensurn:uuid:260b63ff-b0ee-4bcc-8c3f-40d05a5a5eb72014-12-28T21:19:00Z]]>